Belated SciAm update. Unsurprisingly, it's apparently still a political magazine.
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link: Michael Shermer
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link: Michael Shermer
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"Compromised science" news/opines (includes retractions, declining academic standards, pred-J, etc)
- Thread starter C C
- Start date
72% of biomedical researchers think field is facing a reproducibility crisis: survey
https://www.fiercebiotech.com/resea...nk-field-facing-reproducibility-crisis-survey
INTRO: A 2016 survey by the journal Nature put stark numbers to the scope of science’s reproducibility problems. More than 70% of researchers across STEM fields said they’d tried and failed to replicate another scientist’s findings, with 52% of respondents agreeing that there is a “significant” reproducibility crisis.
A new study has now sought to update Nature’s nearly decade-old numbers while also homing in on a specific field: biomedicine. In a survey of 1,630 biomedical researchers from around the world, including 819 who work in clinical research, 72% of respondents agreed that the field is facing a reproducibility crisis.
What’s more, 62% of the researchers blamed a culture of “publish or perish” for the crisis, with the vast majority citing little available funding to replicate findings and just 16% saying their institution had procedures to improve research reproducibility...
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https://www.fiercebiotech.com/resea...nk-field-facing-reproducibility-crisis-survey
INTRO: A 2016 survey by the journal Nature put stark numbers to the scope of science’s reproducibility problems. More than 70% of researchers across STEM fields said they’d tried and failed to replicate another scientist’s findings, with 52% of respondents agreeing that there is a “significant” reproducibility crisis.
A new study has now sought to update Nature’s nearly decade-old numbers while also homing in on a specific field: biomedicine. In a survey of 1,630 biomedical researchers from around the world, including 819 who work in clinical research, 72% of respondents agreed that the field is facing a reproducibility crisis.
What’s more, 62% of the researchers blamed a culture of “publish or perish” for the crisis, with the vast majority citing little available funding to replicate findings and just 16% saying their institution had procedures to improve research reproducibility...
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Revisiting the Stanford Prison Experiment 50 years later (documentary)
https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/11/revisting-the-stanford-prison-experiment-50-years-later/
INTRO: In 1971, Stanford University psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted a notorious experiment in which he randomly divided college students into two groups, guards and prisoners, and set them loose in a simulated prison environment for six days, documenting the guards' descent into brutality. His findings caused a media sensation and a lot of subsequent criticism about the ethics and methodology employed in the study.
Zimbardo died last month at 91, but his controversial legacy continues to resonate some 50 years later with The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth, a new documentary from National Geographic... (MORE - details)
LINK: Official Trailer
https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/11/revisting-the-stanford-prison-experiment-50-years-later/
INTRO: In 1971, Stanford University psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted a notorious experiment in which he randomly divided college students into two groups, guards and prisoners, and set them loose in a simulated prison environment for six days, documenting the guards' descent into brutality. His findings caused a media sensation and a lot of subsequent criticism about the ethics and methodology employed in the study.
Zimbardo died last month at 91, but his controversial legacy continues to resonate some 50 years later with The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth, a new documentary from National Geographic... (MORE - details)
LINK: Official Trailer
eLife won’t get an impact factor, says Clarivate
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11/13/elife-wont-get-an-impact-factor-says-clarivate/
Clarivate, the data company for scholarly publications, has decided to continue indexing some content from eLife in Web of Science, after reevaluating the open-access biology journal’s unusual practice of publishing articles without accepting or rejecting them. The journal will not receive an Impact Factor...
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Retraction Watch is hiring! Two journalism jobs available
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11/12/retraction-watch-is-hiring-two-journalism-jobs-available/
Thanks to generous support from the WoodNext Foundation and ongoing support from individual donors, as well as revenue from journalism partnerships and speaking fees, Retraction Watch is hiring for two roles: managing editor and staff reporter...
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‘All the red flags’: Scientific Reports retracts paper sleuths called out in open letter
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11...acts-paper-sleuths-called-out-in-open-letter/
Scientific Reports, a Springer Nature title, has retracted an article a group of sleuths described as “a kind of case study of all the red flags for fraud that we look for” in an open letter to the publisher’s head of research integrity...
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https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11/13/elife-wont-get-an-impact-factor-says-clarivate/
Clarivate, the data company for scholarly publications, has decided to continue indexing some content from eLife in Web of Science, after reevaluating the open-access biology journal’s unusual practice of publishing articles without accepting or rejecting them. The journal will not receive an Impact Factor...
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Retraction Watch is hiring! Two journalism jobs available
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11/12/retraction-watch-is-hiring-two-journalism-jobs-available/
Thanks to generous support from the WoodNext Foundation and ongoing support from individual donors, as well as revenue from journalism partnerships and speaking fees, Retraction Watch is hiring for two roles: managing editor and staff reporter...
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‘All the red flags’: Scientific Reports retracts paper sleuths called out in open letter
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11...acts-paper-sleuths-called-out-in-open-letter/
Scientific Reports, a Springer Nature title, has retracted an article a group of sleuths described as “a kind of case study of all the red flags for fraud that we look for” in an open letter to the publisher’s head of research integrity...
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Pinball1970
Valued Senior Member
The great AI witch hunt: Reviewers’ perception and (Mis)conception of generative AI in research writing
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949882124000550
ABSTRACT: Generative AI (GenAI) use in research writing is growing fast. However, it is unclear how peer reviewers recognize or misjudge AI-augmented manuscripts. To investigate the impact of AI-augmented writing on peer reviews, we conducted a snippet-based online survey with 17 peer reviewers from top-tier HCI conferences.
Our findings indicate that while AI-augmented writing improves readability, language diversity, and informativeness, it often lacks research details and reflective insights from authors. Reviewers consistently struggled to distinguish between human and AI-augmented writing but their judgements remained consistent. They noted the loss of a “human touch” and subjective expressions in AI-augmented writing.
Based on our findings, we advocate for reviewer guidelines that promote impartial evaluations of submissions, regardless of any personal biases towards GenAI. The quality of the research itself should remain a priority in reviews, regardless of any preconceived notions about the tools used to create it. We emphasize that researchers must maintain their authorship and control over the writing process, even when using GenAI's assistance.
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Science communication will benefit from research integrity standards
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-03586-w
EXCERPTS: “Twenty seconds, professor, and no long words.” This is what a BBC producer once told Ian Fells, a chemical engineer at Newcastle University, UK, shortly before Fells was due to appear on a live broadcast. It was more than 30 years ago, at a time when few researchers were trained in how to condense science into sound bites, while staying true to the accuracy of their message. Today, that challenge could be even bigger. The smartphone makes every researcher a potential writer, audio producer or broadcaster...
[...] In a report published last month by the League of European Research Universities (LERU), a network of 24 institutions, Morgan proposes that public-facing science-communication work should adhere to the same research-integrity principles that are used for scholarly publications...
[...] The idea deserves more attention from universities, companies and campaigning organizations — all of which are now much more involved in science communication than at any time in the past. It might not work in all contexts and there will be challenges to its implementation, but the concept should be discussed more widely...
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BHU revokes Dalit Professor’s PhD over plagiarism allegations, sparking accusations of bias
https://en.themooknayak.com/dalit-n...rism-allegations-sparking-accusations-of-bias
EXCERPTS: The case, which has stirred debate across academic circles, brings renewed attention to allegations of bias and discrimination faced by scholars from marginalized communities in prestigious institutions like BHU. [...] In his defense, Dr. Sonkar argued that he is being targeted due to his caste background, emphasizing that the plagiarism regulations were established in 2018, eight years after he completed his PhD in 2010. [...] Despite the revocation, BHU has allowed Dr. Sonkar to retain his post as Assistant Professor and continue receiving other employment benefits...
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Bad science as genre fiction: I think there’s a lot to be said for this analogy!
https://statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2024/11/08/bad-science-as-genre-fiction/
INTRO: I came across this blog comment from a couple years ago saying that, whatever was going on in the head of Brian “Pizzagate” Wansink when he wrote up those papers with the fake data, in any case his papers papers are not to be believed; they’re a sort of genre fiction.
I like this idea, not just the bad science it’s false (hence “fiction,” as in psychologist Stuart Ritchie’s recent book “Science Fictions”), but also that it’s genre fiction; that is, it’s written to a certain pattern, to fulfill certain expectations and be published in certain venues...
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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949882124000550
ABSTRACT: Generative AI (GenAI) use in research writing is growing fast. However, it is unclear how peer reviewers recognize or misjudge AI-augmented manuscripts. To investigate the impact of AI-augmented writing on peer reviews, we conducted a snippet-based online survey with 17 peer reviewers from top-tier HCI conferences.
Our findings indicate that while AI-augmented writing improves readability, language diversity, and informativeness, it often lacks research details and reflective insights from authors. Reviewers consistently struggled to distinguish between human and AI-augmented writing but their judgements remained consistent. They noted the loss of a “human touch” and subjective expressions in AI-augmented writing.
Based on our findings, we advocate for reviewer guidelines that promote impartial evaluations of submissions, regardless of any personal biases towards GenAI. The quality of the research itself should remain a priority in reviews, regardless of any preconceived notions about the tools used to create it. We emphasize that researchers must maintain their authorship and control over the writing process, even when using GenAI's assistance.
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Science communication will benefit from research integrity standards
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-03586-w
EXCERPTS: “Twenty seconds, professor, and no long words.” This is what a BBC producer once told Ian Fells, a chemical engineer at Newcastle University, UK, shortly before Fells was due to appear on a live broadcast. It was more than 30 years ago, at a time when few researchers were trained in how to condense science into sound bites, while staying true to the accuracy of their message. Today, that challenge could be even bigger. The smartphone makes every researcher a potential writer, audio producer or broadcaster...
[...] In a report published last month by the League of European Research Universities (LERU), a network of 24 institutions, Morgan proposes that public-facing science-communication work should adhere to the same research-integrity principles that are used for scholarly publications...
[...] The idea deserves more attention from universities, companies and campaigning organizations — all of which are now much more involved in science communication than at any time in the past. It might not work in all contexts and there will be challenges to its implementation, but the concept should be discussed more widely...
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BHU revokes Dalit Professor’s PhD over plagiarism allegations, sparking accusations of bias
https://en.themooknayak.com/dalit-n...rism-allegations-sparking-accusations-of-bias
EXCERPTS: The case, which has stirred debate across academic circles, brings renewed attention to allegations of bias and discrimination faced by scholars from marginalized communities in prestigious institutions like BHU. [...] In his defense, Dr. Sonkar argued that he is being targeted due to his caste background, emphasizing that the plagiarism regulations were established in 2018, eight years after he completed his PhD in 2010. [...] Despite the revocation, BHU has allowed Dr. Sonkar to retain his post as Assistant Professor and continue receiving other employment benefits...
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Bad science as genre fiction: I think there’s a lot to be said for this analogy!
https://statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2024/11/08/bad-science-as-genre-fiction/
INTRO: I came across this blog comment from a couple years ago saying that, whatever was going on in the head of Brian “Pizzagate” Wansink when he wrote up those papers with the fake data, in any case his papers papers are not to be believed; they’re a sort of genre fiction.
I like this idea, not just the bad science it’s false (hence “fiction,” as in psychologist Stuart Ritchie’s recent book “Science Fictions”), but also that it’s genre fiction; that is, it’s written to a certain pattern, to fulfill certain expectations and be published in certain venues...
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As you already probably know, the following being what ultimately transpired with respect to the incident addressed here:
https://www.sciforums.com/threads/c...emic-standards-pred-j-etc.165981/post-3741152
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How Scientific American's departing editor helped degrade science
https://reason.com/2024/11/18/how-scientific-americans-departing-editor-helped-degrade-science/
When magazines like Scientific American are run by ideologues producing biased dreck, it only makes it more difficult to defend the institution of science itself...
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(Jerry Coyne) John Horgan defends Scientific American, its editor, and its colonization by progressive ideology
https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2024...r-and-its-infusion-with-progressive-ideology/
EXCERPTS: I’ve written a fair number of posts about science writer John Horgan over the years, and also pointed out posts in which others took Horgan to task for his miguided views or even lack of understanding of the science he wrote about. [...] First, Horgan here conflates the practice of science itself with the presentation of science in magazines like Scientific American.
Yes, the actual doing of science should, as far as possible, be politically neutral, and so should articles published in scientific journals. (Sadly, the latter hope is now repeatedly violated.) The ideological erosion of biology, as Luana and I called our paper in Skeptical Inquirer, has led to the loss of trust in biology and in journals themselves; and the same is happening in all STEM fields. You wouldn’t think that math could go woke, for instance, but it has, and medical education has long been colonized by ideology, to the point where it endangers the health of Americans...
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(Nov 15) 'Scientific American' editor resigns after comments about Trump supporters went viral
https://www.npr.org/2024/11/15/nx-s...er-comments-about-trump-supporters-went-viral
In messages on Bluesky, which were later deleted, Helmuth referred to some of Trump's supporters as "the meanest, dumbest, most bigoted" individuals celebrating his election night victory over Vice President Harris. She also expressed regret to younger voters, stating that her generation is "so full of f****** fascists."
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(2021) Scientific American goes woke - Michael Shermer
https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/scientific-american-goes-woke
EXCERPTS: In April of 2001 I began my monthly Skeptic column at Scientific American, the longest continuously published magazine in the country dating back to 1845. [...] Alas, my streak ended in January of 2019 after a run of 214 essays. Since then, I have received many queries about why my column ended and, more generally, about what has happened over at Scientific American, which historically focused primarily on science, technology, engineering and medicine (STEM), but now appears to be turning to social justice issues...Shortly after the December 2018 column I was given my walking papers, but was allowed one more farewell column in January, 2019...
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https://www.sciforums.com/threads/c...emic-standards-pred-j-etc.165981/post-3741152
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How Scientific American's departing editor helped degrade science
https://reason.com/2024/11/18/how-scientific-americans-departing-editor-helped-degrade-science/
When magazines like Scientific American are run by ideologues producing biased dreck, it only makes it more difficult to defend the institution of science itself...
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(Jerry Coyne) John Horgan defends Scientific American, its editor, and its colonization by progressive ideology
https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2024...r-and-its-infusion-with-progressive-ideology/
EXCERPTS: I’ve written a fair number of posts about science writer John Horgan over the years, and also pointed out posts in which others took Horgan to task for his miguided views or even lack of understanding of the science he wrote about. [...] First, Horgan here conflates the practice of science itself with the presentation of science in magazines like Scientific American.
Yes, the actual doing of science should, as far as possible, be politically neutral, and so should articles published in scientific journals. (Sadly, the latter hope is now repeatedly violated.) The ideological erosion of biology, as Luana and I called our paper in Skeptical Inquirer, has led to the loss of trust in biology and in journals themselves; and the same is happening in all STEM fields. You wouldn’t think that math could go woke, for instance, but it has, and medical education has long been colonized by ideology, to the point where it endangers the health of Americans...
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(Nov 15) 'Scientific American' editor resigns after comments about Trump supporters went viral
https://www.npr.org/2024/11/15/nx-s...er-comments-about-trump-supporters-went-viral
In messages on Bluesky, which were later deleted, Helmuth referred to some of Trump's supporters as "the meanest, dumbest, most bigoted" individuals celebrating his election night victory over Vice President Harris. She also expressed regret to younger voters, stating that her generation is "so full of f****** fascists."
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(2021) Scientific American goes woke - Michael Shermer
https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/scientific-american-goes-woke
EXCERPTS: In April of 2001 I began my monthly Skeptic column at Scientific American, the longest continuously published magazine in the country dating back to 1845. [...] Alas, my streak ended in January of 2019 after a run of 214 essays. Since then, I have received many queries about why my column ended and, more generally, about what has happened over at Scientific American, which historically focused primarily on science, technology, engineering and medicine (STEM), but now appears to be turning to social justice issues...Shortly after the December 2018 column I was given my walking papers, but was allowed one more farewell column in January, 2019...
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exchemist
Valued Senior Member
I haven’t bought a copy of Scientific American since I retired over a decade ago ( I used to buy it at airports for long haul flights on business) but it certainly sounds as if it has lost its way under this most recent editor. Probably a very good thing she has resigned.
Let us hope the board, or the trustees, or whatever supervisory body the magazine has got, will appoint someone with a passion for science and not social justice. As some of these commentators point out, science is already seen as left wing by the anti-intellectual, Trumpie idiots now in the ascendancy. Overt political bias in what should be, and was, a serious science magazine can only make that worse.
This Horgan guy sounds ghastly, by the way: one of these horrible cultural relativists that claims because science does not take place in a political vacuum, therefore it is somehow OK to politicise it deliberately. What a prick!
In defence of slouching: the bad science behind good posture
https://psyche.co/ideas/in-defence-of-slouching-the-bad-science-behind-good-posture
The idea that we should all stand straight is widely accepted. But this modern obsession has dubious origins...
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How science lost America’s trust and surrendered health policy to skeptics
https://www.wsj.com/health/healthca...d?st=biYeNT&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
ALT SOURCE: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/ot...endered-health-policy-to-skeptics/ar-AA1uoPxF
EXCERPTS: Health authorities who beat the pandemic worry about losing more trust from the people they worked to save. Doctors, scientists and public-health officials are asking themselves how they can win it back. Among their postelection revelations: Don’t underestimate or talk down to those without a medical degree.
[...] Much of Kennedy’s popularity reflects residual pandemic anger ... “We weren’t really considering the consequences in communities that were not New York City.”
[...] Public-health officials wonder if they have sufficient clout for the next national emergency. “Science is losing its place as a source of truth,” said Dr. Paul Offit, an infectious-disease physician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “It’s becoming just another voice in the room.”
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https://psyche.co/ideas/in-defence-of-slouching-the-bad-science-behind-good-posture
The idea that we should all stand straight is widely accepted. But this modern obsession has dubious origins...
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How science lost America’s trust and surrendered health policy to skeptics
https://www.wsj.com/health/healthca...d?st=biYeNT&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
ALT SOURCE: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/ot...endered-health-policy-to-skeptics/ar-AA1uoPxF
EXCERPTS: Health authorities who beat the pandemic worry about losing more trust from the people they worked to save. Doctors, scientists and public-health officials are asking themselves how they can win it back. Among their postelection revelations: Don’t underestimate or talk down to those without a medical degree.
[...] Much of Kennedy’s popularity reflects residual pandemic anger ... “We weren’t really considering the consequences in communities that were not New York City.”
[...] Public-health officials wonder if they have sufficient clout for the next national emergency. “Science is losing its place as a source of truth,” said Dr. Paul Offit, an infectious-disease physician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “It’s becoming just another voice in the room.”
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Good grief. In the end, this article seems(?) to be promoting more "Scientific American-ism". Conservatives (and even moderates to an extent) are as rare in the humanities as frozen ponds in Panama. So one is inclined to assume a bioethicist [philosopher, largely] isn't being inclusive of the whole political spectrum when it comes to proposing scientists becoming "non-neutral".
Yes, the "community of traditionalism" probably has been turned-off in the past by a misperception of science as being morally sterile and pro-human apathetic. But scientists coming out of the closet and vigorously waving an activist banner of left-wing values is just going to inflame the misinformation and conspiracy crowd all the more. Given their presuppositions about the academic world [see footnote 1 at bottom].
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Soul Men and Women—what must science do to regain public trust?
https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.1038/s44319-024-00325-0
EXCERPTS: Science is now seen as just one more example of ideology [...] Understanding the growing mistrust in and rejection of science may contain the keys to knowing how to fight it.
These versions of anti-science sentiments churning through modern culture are not new. For at least a century, some on the right and the left worried that science, initially due to evolutionary theory, and later, the development and use of the atomic bomb and the resulting ‘cold war’, represented a moral threat to civilization, due to its corrosive effects on humanity’s self-conception...
[...] Our contemporary fights over science reflect the potent impact of this tradition which claims that science lacks values, takes a purposeless view of our existence and sees humans as automata deluded about free will...
[...] What is required is more than just efforts to correct misinformation or to bring warranted evidence to bear on contentious issues. That work is hugely important, but it requires a parallel effort to reclaim science’s voice as a trusted source to succeed. No amount of facts will suffice to influence any controversy if the audience does not trust the messenger...
Science may find no purpose or meaning in what cosmology or evolutionary theory have to say about eternity and our place in it, the story of evolution may lack a special place for humans, but that hardly means that science is done by people who are soulless or amoral...
[...] The immediate thought is to invoke scientific neutrality—science is apolitical, neutral, value-free, so leave us alone. Wrong wrong wrong!
Scientists are political, non-neutral, they have values, their work is driven by them... (MORE - details)
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[1] Scientists should strive to delineate between scientific facts and their political preferences: "A primary reason why Republicans distrust science is that they perceive that universities and institutional science are fused with the Democratic party. Surveys of party affiliation among academics more-or-less bear this out, as Democrat faculty outnumber Republicans by much more than 10 to 1 in most departments. Accordingly, there is a substantial concern, even emanating from within the academy, that the research output of universities is heavily skewed toward findings that support left-leaning worldviews."
And the days of a tiny pocket of scientists, literary intellectuals, engineers and other technical experts passing secrets to the Soviet Union has hardly been forgotten by the array of zealots crusading against all the offshoots of Neo-Marxism.
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Yes, the "community of traditionalism" probably has been turned-off in the past by a misperception of science as being morally sterile and pro-human apathetic. But scientists coming out of the closet and vigorously waving an activist banner of left-wing values is just going to inflame the misinformation and conspiracy crowd all the more. Given their presuppositions about the academic world [see footnote 1 at bottom].
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Soul Men and Women—what must science do to regain public trust?
https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.1038/s44319-024-00325-0
EXCERPTS: Science is now seen as just one more example of ideology [...] Understanding the growing mistrust in and rejection of science may contain the keys to knowing how to fight it.
These versions of anti-science sentiments churning through modern culture are not new. For at least a century, some on the right and the left worried that science, initially due to evolutionary theory, and later, the development and use of the atomic bomb and the resulting ‘cold war’, represented a moral threat to civilization, due to its corrosive effects on humanity’s self-conception...
[...] Our contemporary fights over science reflect the potent impact of this tradition which claims that science lacks values, takes a purposeless view of our existence and sees humans as automata deluded about free will...
[...] What is required is more than just efforts to correct misinformation or to bring warranted evidence to bear on contentious issues. That work is hugely important, but it requires a parallel effort to reclaim science’s voice as a trusted source to succeed. No amount of facts will suffice to influence any controversy if the audience does not trust the messenger...
Science may find no purpose or meaning in what cosmology or evolutionary theory have to say about eternity and our place in it, the story of evolution may lack a special place for humans, but that hardly means that science is done by people who are soulless or amoral...
[...] The immediate thought is to invoke scientific neutrality—science is apolitical, neutral, value-free, so leave us alone. Wrong wrong wrong!
Scientists are political, non-neutral, they have values, their work is driven by them... (MORE - details)
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[1] Scientists should strive to delineate between scientific facts and their political preferences: "A primary reason why Republicans distrust science is that they perceive that universities and institutional science are fused with the Democratic party. Surveys of party affiliation among academics more-or-less bear this out, as Democrat faculty outnumber Republicans by much more than 10 to 1 in most departments. Accordingly, there is a substantial concern, even emanating from within the academy, that the research output of universities is heavily skewed toward findings that support left-leaning worldviews."
And the days of a tiny pocket of scientists, literary intellectuals, engineers and other technical experts passing secrets to the Soviet Union has hardly been forgotten by the array of zealots crusading against all the offshoots of Neo-Marxism.
_
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Mega journal Cureus kicks out organizations critics called paper mills
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11...out-organizations-critics-called-paper-mills/
The embattled mega journal Cureus has closed six of its so-called “academic channels,” which it bills as low-cost publication platforms that “will turn your organization into a publishing powerhouse,” Retraction Watch has learned. The move follows a joint investigation in May by Science and Retraction Watch that found several organizations critics described as dressed-up paper mills had their own channels at the medical journal...
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‘Relieved’: BMJ retracts and replaces article on unexpected weight loss as a sign of cancer
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11...n-unexpected-weight-loss-as-a-sign-of-cancer/
The British Medical Journal has retracted an article examining when unexpected weight loss could be a warning sign of cancer after the authors found an error in their work. The journal published an updated version of the analysis with different conclusions, which the authors think could influence patient care...
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Cancer specialist faked data in at least ten papers, VA and UCLA find
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11...data-in-at-least-ten-papers-va-and-ucla-find/
A multiple myeloma specialist “recklessly“ falsified data in at least 10 published articles, according to a joint investigation by the University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System...
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Wiley corrects retraction notices for ‘inaccurate’ description of why articles were pulled
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11...rate-description-of-why-articles-were-pulled/
The Journal of Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology, a Wiley title, has corrected a pair of retraction notices in which “the reasons for the retraction were described inaccurately,” according to the corrections. The original notices also did not include “the authors’ disapproval of the retraction.”
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https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11...out-organizations-critics-called-paper-mills/
The embattled mega journal Cureus has closed six of its so-called “academic channels,” which it bills as low-cost publication platforms that “will turn your organization into a publishing powerhouse,” Retraction Watch has learned. The move follows a joint investigation in May by Science and Retraction Watch that found several organizations critics described as dressed-up paper mills had their own channels at the medical journal...
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‘Relieved’: BMJ retracts and replaces article on unexpected weight loss as a sign of cancer
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11...n-unexpected-weight-loss-as-a-sign-of-cancer/
The British Medical Journal has retracted an article examining when unexpected weight loss could be a warning sign of cancer after the authors found an error in their work. The journal published an updated version of the analysis with different conclusions, which the authors think could influence patient care...
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Cancer specialist faked data in at least ten papers, VA and UCLA find
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11...data-in-at-least-ten-papers-va-and-ucla-find/
A multiple myeloma specialist “recklessly“ falsified data in at least 10 published articles, according to a joint investigation by the University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System...
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Wiley corrects retraction notices for ‘inaccurate’ description of why articles were pulled
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11...rate-description-of-why-articles-were-pulled/
The Journal of Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology, a Wiley title, has corrected a pair of retraction notices in which “the reasons for the retraction were described inaccurately,” according to the corrections. The original notices also did not include “the authors’ disapproval of the retraction.”
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Gawdzilla Sama
Valued Senior Member
Whole bunches of gotchas.
Embattled superconductivity scientist is out
https://www.wsj.com/science/university-rochester-ranga-dias-superconductor-misconduct-61288727
ALT SOURCE: https://www.msn.com/en-au/money/car...uperconductivity-scientist-is-out/ar-AA1ulMLC
Ranga Dias is no longer employed by the University of Rochester, months after a university probe found he engaged in research misconduct...
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The peer review system no longer works to guarantee academic rigour - a different approach is needed
https://theconversation.com/the-pee...-rigour-a-different-approach-is-needed-244092
In recent years, alternative ways to scrutinise research have emerged which attempt to fix some of the problems with the peer-review system. One of these is the “publish, review, curate” model...
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AI-assisted genome studies are riddled with errors
https://www.the-scientist.com/ai-assisted-genome-studies-are-riddled-with-errors-72339
Researchers used artificial intelligence in large genomics studies to fill in gaps in patient information and improve predictions, but new research uncovers false positives and misleading correlations...
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America's fractured trust in science, explained in 3 charts
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/385140/science-trust-rfk-jr-trump-pew-partisan
Science should be bipartisan. Why is our confidence split down party lines? Here are three charts that make sense of America’s relationship with science today, and highlight how scientists can earn the public’s trust back...
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Retractions by Nobel Prize winners
https://retractionwatch.com/retractions-by-nobel-prize-winners/
In 2017, our co-founders wrote an intentionally ridiculous column in Slate: “Want to Win a Nobel Prize? Retract a Paper.” But Nobel Prize winners have indeed retracted papers — some before and some after their awards. Here’s our list...
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https://www.wsj.com/science/university-rochester-ranga-dias-superconductor-misconduct-61288727
ALT SOURCE: https://www.msn.com/en-au/money/car...uperconductivity-scientist-is-out/ar-AA1ulMLC
Ranga Dias is no longer employed by the University of Rochester, months after a university probe found he engaged in research misconduct...
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The peer review system no longer works to guarantee academic rigour - a different approach is needed
https://theconversation.com/the-pee...-rigour-a-different-approach-is-needed-244092
In recent years, alternative ways to scrutinise research have emerged which attempt to fix some of the problems with the peer-review system. One of these is the “publish, review, curate” model...
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AI-assisted genome studies are riddled with errors
https://www.the-scientist.com/ai-assisted-genome-studies-are-riddled-with-errors-72339
Researchers used artificial intelligence in large genomics studies to fill in gaps in patient information and improve predictions, but new research uncovers false positives and misleading correlations...
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America's fractured trust in science, explained in 3 charts
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/385140/science-trust-rfk-jr-trump-pew-partisan
Science should be bipartisan. Why is our confidence split down party lines? Here are three charts that make sense of America’s relationship with science today, and highlight how scientists can earn the public’s trust back...
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Retractions by Nobel Prize winners
https://retractionwatch.com/retractions-by-nobel-prize-winners/
In 2017, our co-founders wrote an intentionally ridiculous column in Slate: “Want to Win a Nobel Prize? Retract a Paper.” But Nobel Prize winners have indeed retracted papers — some before and some after their awards. Here’s our list...
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Should one be a tad puzzled, just recall that Avi Loeb is an Israeli-American. So it's not altogether surprising that the ET/UAP boffin would take a stance about SciAm that parallels that of the New Atheism camp. Especially after Left or Woke politics turned against the country he was born in.
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Yes, It’s Possible to be Scientific and American
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/yes-its-possible-to-be-scientific-and-american-fa27add36e29
EXCERPT: I am a practicing scientist who published regularly in Scientific American before Laura’s helm. Why am I deeply troubled by Laura’s recent statements? Because they represent a major trend in today’s journalism and academia of `virtue signaling’ that violates the principles it pretends to protect. This trend reminds me of the party slogan in George Orwell’s 1984: “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength”.
The threat to our society is existential. Spreading hate through tribalism is no different than an ideological act of terrorism. In fact, adversarial nations are actively engaged in planting the seeds of self-hate in Americans through social media. The elites of academia and journalism are `useful idiots,’ willing to disrupt scholarship in universities... (MORE - details)
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Yes, It’s Possible to be Scientific and American
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/yes-its-possible-to-be-scientific-and-american-fa27add36e29
EXCERPT: I am a practicing scientist who published regularly in Scientific American before Laura’s helm. Why am I deeply troubled by Laura’s recent statements? Because they represent a major trend in today’s journalism and academia of `virtue signaling’ that violates the principles it pretends to protect. This trend reminds me of the party slogan in George Orwell’s 1984: “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength”.
The threat to our society is existential. Spreading hate through tribalism is no different than an ideological act of terrorism. In fact, adversarial nations are actively engaged in planting the seeds of self-hate in Americans through social media. The elites of academia and journalism are `useful idiots,’ willing to disrupt scholarship in universities... (MORE - details)
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Gawdzilla Sama
Valued Senior Member
This is why I don't go out much any more.
Fossil fuel industry influences medical research, raising ethical concerns
https://www.news-medical.net/news/2...edical-research-raising-ethical-concerns.aspx
INTRO: An investigation published by The BMJ today reveals the extent of fossil fuel industry involvement in medical research, leading to fresh calls for academics and publishing companies to cut ties with companies. An analysis by journalists Hristio Boytchev, Natalie Widmann and Simon Wörpel found that over the past six years, more than 180 medical articles have acknowledged fossil fuel industry funding, and an additional 1000 articles feature authors who worked for a fossil fuel company or related organization... (MORE - details)
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https://www.news-medical.net/news/2...edical-research-raising-ethical-concerns.aspx
INTRO: An investigation published by The BMJ today reveals the extent of fossil fuel industry involvement in medical research, leading to fresh calls for academics and publishing companies to cut ties with companies. An analysis by journalists Hristio Boytchev, Natalie Widmann and Simon Wörpel found that over the past six years, more than 180 medical articles have acknowledged fossil fuel industry funding, and an additional 1000 articles feature authors who worked for a fossil fuel company or related organization... (MORE - details)
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Cancer researcher admitted faking data
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11/27/cancer-researcher-admitted-faking-data/
A former researcher at Nemours Children’s Health in Wilmington, Del., admitted to falsifying and incorrectly reporting data in at least two published studies, both of which were supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health. The studies have been retracted....
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Company linked to cloned journals of major publishers denies cloning journals of major publishers
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11...-denies-cloning-journals-of-major-publishers/
After we reported on a new scam to publish papers on webpages remarkably similar to those of Elsevier, Springer, the American Medical Association and other major publishers, the company linked to the clones denied any role in producing the content they contain...
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Exclusive: New hijacking scam targets Elsevier, Springer Nature, and other major publishers
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11...r-springer-nature-and-other-major-publishers/
Until recently, journal hijackers do not appear to have targeted titles from big publishers, in part because their well-known website designs made such clones easy to detect. [...] But earlier this month, William Black, founder and CEO of PSIref, an online platform aggregating scholarly publication data which offers advertising opportunities for publishers, sent me evidence of a new, more sophisticated scam...
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Smithsonian Magazine pulls article for ‘errors’ after criticism of linked map of Israel
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11...rors-after-criticism-of-linked-map-of-israel/
Smithsonian Magazine has retracted a two-year-old article about an interactive online map describing indigenous lands in North America because the map “did not meet the standards of scholarship we expect of academic projects we cover as part of our editorial purview.” The move followed sharp criticism from a pro-Israel group about a map produced by a nonprofit organization that formed the basis of the article...[/i
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https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11/27/cancer-researcher-admitted-faking-data/
A former researcher at Nemours Children’s Health in Wilmington, Del., admitted to falsifying and incorrectly reporting data in at least two published studies, both of which were supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health. The studies have been retracted....
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Company linked to cloned journals of major publishers denies cloning journals of major publishers
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11...-denies-cloning-journals-of-major-publishers/
After we reported on a new scam to publish papers on webpages remarkably similar to those of Elsevier, Springer, the American Medical Association and other major publishers, the company linked to the clones denied any role in producing the content they contain...
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Exclusive: New hijacking scam targets Elsevier, Springer Nature, and other major publishers
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11...r-springer-nature-and-other-major-publishers/
Until recently, journal hijackers do not appear to have targeted titles from big publishers, in part because their well-known website designs made such clones easy to detect. [...] But earlier this month, William Black, founder and CEO of PSIref, an online platform aggregating scholarly publication data which offers advertising opportunities for publishers, sent me evidence of a new, more sophisticated scam...
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Smithsonian Magazine pulls article for ‘errors’ after criticism of linked map of Israel
https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11...rors-after-criticism-of-linked-map-of-israel/
Smithsonian Magazine has retracted a two-year-old article about an interactive online map describing indigenous lands in North America because the map “did not meet the standards of scholarship we expect of academic projects we cover as part of our editorial purview.” The move followed sharp criticism from a pro-Israel group about a map produced by a nonprofit organization that formed the basis of the article...[/i
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This is a crossover issue posted in both the "Compromised Science" thread and the "Philosophy Updates" thread.
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The dangerous myth of value-free science (part 1)
https://iai.tv/articles/the-dangerous-myth-of-value-free-science-auid-3011?_auid=2020
INTRO: Scientists working for the World Health Organization recently found no evidence for links between cellphone radiation and brain cancer. But other scientists argue that there is good evidence linking cellphone use with increased tumor risk. Disagreement runs deep throughout science, so how can we trust its results? Some claim that to be trustworthy, science should strive to be unpolluted by ethical and political values. This is a mistake, argues Kevin C. Elliott. Aiming for the ideal of value-free science makes scientists less, not more trustworthy. It sweeps under the carpet the values that are unavoidably part of interpreting evidence and choosing between different scientific models. Instead, these values should be brought into the open, so that they can be subjected to much-needed scrutiny...
This is Part 1 of a 2-part series. Part 2 is available here (also below).
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Bias in science can and must be exposed (part 2)
https://iai.tv/articles/bias-in-science-can-and-must-be-exposed-auid-3012?_auid=2020
INTRO: When science tries to free its methods from the influence of political and ethical values, it pursues a dangerous fantasy. Or so claimed Kevin C. Elliott in yesterday’s IAI article. Today, Jacob Stegenga argues that, on the contrary, scientists should always strive to keep their research free of all values. While many areas of science, from medical research to cosmology, are full of uncertainty and controversy, scientists can use the scientific method to gradually strip away their prejudices, and thereby uncover the best models and interpretations of evidence. Far from actively deploying their values in their research, as Elliott advocates, scientists should do all they can to keep their politics and ethics out of their research...
This is part 2 of a 2-part series. Read part 1 here (also above).
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The dangerous myth of value-free science (part 1)
https://iai.tv/articles/the-dangerous-myth-of-value-free-science-auid-3011?_auid=2020
INTRO: Scientists working for the World Health Organization recently found no evidence for links between cellphone radiation and brain cancer. But other scientists argue that there is good evidence linking cellphone use with increased tumor risk. Disagreement runs deep throughout science, so how can we trust its results? Some claim that to be trustworthy, science should strive to be unpolluted by ethical and political values. This is a mistake, argues Kevin C. Elliott. Aiming for the ideal of value-free science makes scientists less, not more trustworthy. It sweeps under the carpet the values that are unavoidably part of interpreting evidence and choosing between different scientific models. Instead, these values should be brought into the open, so that they can be subjected to much-needed scrutiny...
This is Part 1 of a 2-part series. Part 2 is available here (also below).
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Bias in science can and must be exposed (part 2)
https://iai.tv/articles/bias-in-science-can-and-must-be-exposed-auid-3012?_auid=2020
INTRO: When science tries to free its methods from the influence of political and ethical values, it pursues a dangerous fantasy. Or so claimed Kevin C. Elliott in yesterday’s IAI article. Today, Jacob Stegenga argues that, on the contrary, scientists should always strive to keep their research free of all values. While many areas of science, from medical research to cosmology, are full of uncertainty and controversy, scientists can use the scientific method to gradually strip away their prejudices, and thereby uncover the best models and interpretations of evidence. Far from actively deploying their values in their research, as Elliott advocates, scientists should do all they can to keep their politics and ethics out of their research...
This is part 2 of a 2-part series. Read part 1 here (also above).
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Bhattacharya to decide the fate of medical research
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/m...nce/bhattacharya-decide-fate-medical-research
An economist turned pandemic celebrity, who loudly and repeatedly advocated for mass infections with the coronavirus, has been nominated by Donald Trump as the new director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This choice continues a trend toward the institutionalization of pseudoscience in the United States by putting the foxes in charge of the hen house...
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https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/m...nce/bhattacharya-decide-fate-medical-research
An economist turned pandemic celebrity, who loudly and repeatedly advocated for mass infections with the coronavirus, has been nominated by Donald Trump as the new director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This choice continues a trend toward the institutionalization of pseudoscience in the United States by putting the foxes in charge of the hen house...
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