There are two definitions of “science”: The abstract ideal (roughly, doubt everything until you have reproducible proof), and the way it's put into practice (or

There are two definitions of “science”: The abstract ideal (roughly, doubt everything until you have reproducible proof), and the way it's put into practice (or not) by institutions, companies, and individuals. The failure modes are numerous, including perverse incentives to do the wrong thing, culminating in outright fraud. See the other discussion here on medical research [1]. It's easy to hate the latter if you value the former. [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27884233 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27884233