There's a lot of bad science writing out there. Some of it is just sloppy writing, some of it is hyperbolic clickbait, and some of it is deliberate misinformation.
Given the importance of science in our life, getting accurate information matters. There are some things you can do to make sure what you're reading or viewing is accurate and unbiased, as this article points out.
Probably the most important is to watch out for exaggerated claims. Look for the word "breakthrough". A good example is the news earlier this year about the fusion experiment at Lawrence Livermore Laboratories. While scientifically interesting, it's unlikely to have any measurable impact on our lives in the next several decades. On the other hand, the Webb telescope is, if not quite a breakthrough, a major advance in astronomy.
For example, in November the front page of the BBC’s website described a trial of a new drug for Alzheimer’s disease, lecanemab, as a “momentous breakthrough”. On the one hand, this was hyperbole: the study showed that the drug slowed the advance of the disease by about 27 per cent on one specific dementia screening test. A researcher quoted in the BBC story even said the results were “not dramatic” – but the headline remained regardless. The drug also had some worrisome side effects; clearly a lot more development is needed. On the other hand, though, it was a real advance in a context where every past attempt at designing drugs for Alzheimer’s has failed.
I've posted quite a bit about disinformation in the last couple of years and sadly will probably continue to do so. For more about the subject, see these posts.
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