Discussion

How ‘Tiny Shortcuts’ Are Poisoning Science

mitchbob: https://archive.ph/2026.03.25-072244/https://nautil.us/how-t...

codexb: I think part of the problem is that what is often referred to as "science" these days is very different from the hard sciences of yesteryear.There are a lot of "soft" sciences that get increasingly softer every year. Social sciences, gender and women's studies, political science, some of the fast and loose use of "economics" these days.There are a lot of "studies" these days that are little more than slanted questionnaires or selective correlational studies with wild unsupported theories as to the results.

pinkmuffinere: > There are a lot of "soft" sciences that get increasingly softer every year. Social sciences, gender and women's studies, political science, some of the fast and loose use of "economics" these days.I don’t think anyone is claiming these are sciences, except perhaps economics. I think you’re fighting a straw man

codexb: People get doctorates in these fields and post studies in journals that get picked up by thinktanks and media outlets. It's "science" for all intents and purposes; they're used as a source of authority based on data and analysis and formal papers.