> Typically these are new and flashy results and sometimes theyre slightly suspect. Mostly theyre not
How do we know that? I mean, we know that science gets things wrong sometimes, and that's fine because it is usually correcting itself. But this knowledge relies on the fact that if group X does bad research, there's always groups Y and Z that would try to replicate and report if it failed. However, if you get your knowledge from publications like Science, then you'd only read about group X but never about Y and Z. So what would you knowledge that "most flashy results are not suspect" base on, given current replication numbers, strong incentive to publish flashy results ASAP, and a policy of not publishing refutations?
> A refutation or null result typically isn't interesting to the audience of these journals- nor should it be.
Why? As a layman with interest in science, to me "scientists from group X discovered that drinking camel milk will make you live forever" is substantially different that "scientists from group X claimed that drinking camel milk will make you live forever but 5 other groups of scientists say it's bullshit and that research is garbage". The former presents the result as unchallenged pinnacle of scientific knowledge, and the latter as highly suspect and very much possible baloney. I as a layman who has no way to verify any of that myself and read all special press would have a lot of value in distinguishing the two situations.
How do we know that? I mean, we know that science gets things wrong sometimes, and that's fine because it is usually correcting itself. But this knowledge relies on the fact that if group X does bad research, there's always groups Y and Z that would try to replicate and report if it failed. However, if you get your knowledge from publications like Science, then you'd only read about group X but never about Y and Z. So what would you knowledge that "most flashy results are not suspect" base on, given current replication numbers, strong incentive to publish flashy results ASAP, and a policy of not publishing refutations?
> A refutation or null result typically isn't interesting to the audience of these journals- nor should it be.
Why? As a layman with interest in science, to me "scientists from group X discovered that drinking camel milk will make you live forever" is substantially different that "scientists from group X claimed that drinking camel milk will make you live forever but 5 other groups of scientists say it's bullshit and that research is garbage". The former presents the result as unchallenged pinnacle of scientific knowledge, and the latter as highly suspect and very much possible baloney. I as a layman who has no way to verify any of that myself and read all special press would have a lot of value in distinguishing the two situations.