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This headline seems a bit overzealous, as if this new theory is the final answer. This new theory, noted as contradicting one from 2014 and 30 years of previou
by technologyvault 10y ago
This headline seems a bit overzealous, as if this new theory is the final answer.
This new theory, noted as contradicting one from 2014 and 30 years of previous conventional scientific wisdom, came after researchers "looked into larger computational samples of iron than studied previously". What will be the headline and tone in several more years, when someone comes along and studies an even higher number of samples and coming to an entirely different conclusion?
Doesn't it seem more appropriate and useful for the scientific community and publishers of these studies to be careful not to state their findings as conclusive and act as if their most recent study does much more than to estimate what might be happening?
- gydfi 10y agoI think the headline is correct, in that the theory explains it. That is, the theory offers an explanation for the phenomenon. It may not, in the end, be the correct explanation, but it's an explanation. And that's how science advances, with better and better explanations.
- beevai142 10y agoI expect the article itself is more carefully worded than the press release. I don't think people in the scientific community in general really care much about the press releases. The publicity is more something that the funding organizations and universities have started to require in recent years --- you may even get some quantified "career points" of some sort from them depending on the grant. The press releases are at best an afterthought for the researchers. As they are also often edited by the PR staff of the university, there may be some standardized level of hype injected.
- jessriedel 10y agoThere are many researchers who are eager to have their work publicized, both for reasons of pride and grant-writing. They often are far from diligent in working with the journalist to make sure the article is written with sufficient modesty. Yes, universities and funders have began directly soliciting hype journalism, but the researchers themselves still benefit, and follow incentives.
- DrScump 10y agoLike other content on this site, it's just ripped from the original publisher and author, with the author credit cut out. The title is the same on the original: https://www.kth.se/en/forskning/artiklar/new-theory-explains-how-earth-s-inner-core-remains-solid-despite-extreme-heat-1.705398 https://www.kth.se/en/forskning/artiklar/new-theory-explains...