It is quite easy to check the correctness of code excerpts, and implementing a piece of code can mostly be considered the analog of a theoretical calculation (w

It is quite easy to check the correctness of code excerpts, and implementing a piece of code can mostly be considered the analog of a theoretical calculation (we might make mistakes, but in principle you just have to turn the crank and do it right). Otoh, with scientific experiments, it is critical to ensure validity and correctness so that further research may be built on a solid footing. Unlike code, it is not easy to "fork" and verify someone's work. So some form of peer review and verification are crucial. It's not just about openness (scientists have arXiv, PLOS, etc) or about formats/systems (LaTeX is as good as anything else). It's fundamentally about the need to ensure correctness, to establish a foundation for future work.