String theory as it currently exists is very different to how it started. The original use case was actually as a precursor to the current model for partons: QC

String theory as it currently exists is very different to how it started. The original use case was actually as a precursor to the current model for partons: QCD. (Side note: there is still another theory in QCD research that is used, called the Lund string model, but it is not related to string theory and should not be compared. I just bring it up for completeness) This is not to say that I disagree with being more critical of science initiatives, but that heavy-handed approaches like jail and social punishment are not the silver bullet you may think they are. Theories get repurposed very frequently between departments and the relationship between a line of enquiry and the results it may produce is not always linear. Really, science communication (especially from news outlets) itself should be defunded, as it misrepresents the topics discussed. In its place, (structured, public) science EDUCATION should be funded.