Simple story of science.

     There is a simple ideal that underpins science that is the old adage of "trust but verify". Results of any subject in science should be challenged and a form of experimentation should follow. This simple but powerful idea has generated some of the worlds greatest knowledge. Since the birth of modern science in the 17th century, science has changed the world beyond recognition an overwhelmingly for the better. 

     But like most other great ideas science can breed complacency. Most modern science will rely on shoddy experiments, which tend to lean towards too much trust and no verification. 

     Too many of the findings that fill the academic either are the result of shoddy experiments or poor analysis. There is a general rule of thumb among biotechnology venture-capitalist is that  half of published research cannot be replicated. Even that number may be somewhat optimistic. One of the largest researchers Amgen found that they could only reproduce 6 out of 53 experiments "landmark studies" in cancer research. A group at the popular company Bayer could only repeat 67% of the total experiments after reading the papers that were submitted. After 80 thousand people in the Bayer study from 2000 to 2010 were involved in the study, the studies itself had to be retracted. 

     When you look at the most of the flawed studies, even the ones that do not put people at risk do nothing more than squander needed money in areas of proven science. 

     The genesis of this article is that science leads to Professorship and a hefty salary, and money that could be spent in more productive places. This harkens back to the trust me without verifying theory that has gone on in this country recently. Lofty careerism is the goal of exaggerated science. Therein lies the cherry picking in science. "Chose what is popular at the time and push the theory" without any verification mind you.  Choose the numbers that scare the population and disregard the rest. This then leads to dishonest science and tends to lead us backwards rather than forward. 

     I could go on for ever about shoddy science but the point has been covered so many times it has become somewhat repetitive.  Climate science is one of my pet peeves. No research in todays science has been published that has been properly vetted and verified to the point of exclusion or inclusion.  All I see are a bunch of talking heads regurgitation the same old story with the same old science which has yet to be replicated and verified. The only goal here is to make someone a great deal of money. This is not why I became a scientist. I did it to prove my work and leave a mark on this earth for the better, not the money. But I think in todays culture most if not all scientist have lost that passion and think only of their next car or house they will by with money earned with half done research. Think about it in the 1950's through the 1960's scientist were the superstars, and the ground breakers and backed their work with experiments after experiments. Every kid I grew up with wanted to be an astronaut or a scientist or a doctor. Now it is about the money that draws them to football and basketball and other pointless endeavors. (A man that can cure the world of a plague will make 120.000 a year, a man that can score a touchdown can make 10 million a year.) I miss the the days of Armstrong, Aldrin, and others that paved the way for what has become the start of our future. 

Robert Moore 
PhD