A problem family — different problems, same issues

the infrastructure that generates bad science

13 problems across 8 fields · newly named in the latest release

These 13 problems share a meta-pattern invisible from within any single domain: foundational research inputs — reagents, cell lines, software dependencies, analytical methods, benchmark datasets, experimental protocols, soil testing methods — have documented quality problems, but incentive structures discourage quality-checking. 15-20% of cell lines are misidentified. >50% of commercial antibodies don't work as labeled. Software dependencies break within months. The failure propagates downstream: research built on unreliable inputs produces unreliable conclusions, which inform policy, clinical practice, and engineering decisions.

The infrastructure that generates knowledge has a quality problem that nobody has incentive to fix — and mandates have failed. How many research conclusions are built on inputs that were never validated?

Ways this shape shows up

Biomedical reagent integrity. Cell lines, antibodies, western blots — biological research tools with documented quality problems that persist despite awareness
Protocol/methods underdetermination. MOF synthesis, soil testing, psychology moderators — methods insufficiently specified to produce consistent results across labs
Digital infrastructure decay. Software dependencies, ML benchmarks — computational infrastructure degrading over time as dependencies rot and labels erode
Measurement method inadequacy. Contaminant validation, western blot quantification — measurement methods not validated for the conditions they're applied to

The 13 problems in this family

same soil, three hundred percent aparttested in the wrong worldhigh

the code rots before the paper is citedtested in the wrong worldhigh

the scoreboard is corruptedtested in the wrong worldhigh

new poisons, old test methodstested in the wrong worldhigh

also in it worked in the lab

wrong cells, published anywaybuilt without the people who'd live with itmedium

every lab, a different answerthe rules got in the wayhigh

also in the regulator demands evidence that cannot exist

twelve times too many patientstested in the wrong worldhigh

also in it worked in the lab

half the cancer studies don't repeatbuilt without the people who'd live with itmedium

the experiment worked oncetested in the wrong worldhigh

half the antibodies miss their targettested in the wrong worldmedium

the gold standard is guessingmeasured the wrong thingmedium

simulated decades, real surprisestested in the wrong worldhigh

also in it worked in the lab

identical instructions, incompatible crystalstested in the wrong worldmedium

also in it worked in the lab

Confidence: high = Tier-1 source — a primary expert source, fully fact-checked · medium = Tier-2/3 source — analyst, conference, or community source, fact-checked · needs sourcing = flagged for deeper sourcing — help us source it · the dot's size is its tier; a dashed dot needs sourcing

Loading…

the infrastructure that generates bad sciencethe infrastructure that generates bad science

Ways this shape shows up

The 13 problems in this family

the infrastructure that generates bad sciencethe infrastructure that generates bad science

Ways this shape shows up

The 13 problems in this family

the infrastructure that generates bad science

the infrastructure that generates bad science