All this spin serves the same ultimate purpose as exaggerations in press releases and books: scientists want to emphasise the impressiveness and ‘impact’ of their work because impressive and impactful work is what attracts grants, publications and plaudits. The problem is that this can create a feedback loop: the hype nurtures an expectation of straightforward, simple stories on the part of funders, publishers and the public, meaning that scientists must dumb down and prettify their work even more in order to maintain interest and continue to receive funding. The science itself comes out of
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