Via The Guardian
Scientists incentivised to publish surprising results frequently in major journals, despite risk that such findings are likely to be wrong, suggests research
The study’s authors say that while academics are rewarded for publishing novel work often and in high-profile journals, bad scientific practice will “run rampant”.
Getting stuff right is normally regarded as science?s central aim. But a new analysis has raised the existential spectre that universities, laboratory chiefs and academic journals are contributing to the “natural selection of bad science”.
there’s something wrong about “natural selection” as a term. natural means it happens accidentally or by the laws of nature & selection says it’s designed. oxymoron?! which is it? naturally occurring without a creator or design or designed by something, someone?