Science Fictions

Science Fictions focuses on critiquing poor scientific practices and studies, highlighting the prevalence of misinformation, retracted papers, and unethical behavior in the scientific community. It encourages skepticism, advocating for rigorous research and transparency in science publishing, while also exploring the implications of social media on science communication.

Scientific Misconduct Research Replication Science Communication Health and Nutrition Technology and AI Open Science Scientific Publishing

The hottest Substack posts of Science Fictions

And their main takeaways

Science Fictions links for November 2024

275 implied HN points • 02 Dec 24
🔬 Science Research Health Technology Education Ethics
  1. Alzheimer's research is still struggling, with some drugs not working as expected despite years of studies.
  2. There are problems in scientific publishing, like peer reviews being partly written by AI and retracted papers not giving clear explanations of their issues.
  3. Scandals and fraud in science keep happening, affecting public trust and raising questions about the credibility of some research.

Science Fictions links for October 2024

321 implied HN points • 02 Nov 24
🔬 Science Research Ethics Meta-analysis Mental health
  1. There have been multiple cases of scientific fraud recently, with researchers faking data in many papers. This creates big problems for their colleagues who did not know about the fraud.
  2. Some studies have shown that certain treatments, like puberty blockers, may not be effective for mental health, but researchers are hesitant to publish these findings for fear of misuse.
  3. A recent article criticized scientific practices for being overly sensitive and politically correct, calling out how it can hinder genuine scientific discussion and progress.

Science Fictions links for January 2024

248 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
🔬 Science Research Fraud AI Data Analysis Publication
  1. Bad science continues to be published despite scandals and fraud being uncovered.
  2. AI tools hold promise for scientific research but there are challenges in implementation and potential overclaiming.
  3. Evidence of unethical practices like journal bribery and scientific fraud highlight ongoing issues in the scientific community.
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Announcing my new podcast: The Studies Show

248 implied HN points • 25 Jul 23
🎙 Podcasts Science Health Education
  1. The podcast "The Studies Show" discusses controversial scientific topics weekly with an English/Scottish accent combo.
  2. Episodes include topics like Aspartame, Psychedelics, Breastfeeding, and Vaping, among others.
  3. Listeners can subscribe for free on the podcast's Substack page and access episodes on various platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Science writing update, August 2023 edition

229 implied HN points • 09 Aug 23
🔬 Science Research Medicine Publication Psychology Replication
  1. LK-99, the 'room-temperature superconductor', turned out not to be true despite initial social media hype and extravagant claims.
  2. Transparency in scientific publication processes, like preprints and peer review at eLife, can lead to challenges like circulating false claims.
  3. The approval of new drugs for Alzheimer's disease may not always mean groundbreaking results, highlighting the importance of critically analyzing scientific breakthrough claims.