> In my experience reading scientific papers, "we conclude" is just a pretentious old-timey way to say "I think". My high school Philosophy teacher would argue

> In my experience reading scientific papers, "we conclude" is just a pretentious old-timey way to say "I think". My high school Philosophy teacher would argue that "I think" is a weasily way to avoid accountability and challenge. And, "I think", she would say, is implied by any first person statement. Nobody can challenge what you think; your thoughts are your own. What they can challenge are declarations you make about the external world. What she failed to foresee is the degree of offense people would eventually claim regarding others' declarations. "I think" is indeed a way to pull your punches, but often to avoid conflict with the public's increasingly hyper-sensitive disposition than to protect one's own fragile ego.