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From the authors of the forthcoming book ”How the Internet Disrupted Science” comes this view of science from where the action is — the scientific claims and publishing space. Hosted by Kent Anderson and Joy Moore, listeners receive analyses of current events, updates about the book, and opinions on various topics of interest. Book pre-sales available now. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/How-the-Internet-Disrupted-Science/Kent-Anderson/9781493094400Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Scientific publishing and peer review • Open access incentives, fraud, paper mills • Preprints and retractions • Platform accountability, Section 230, intermediaries • AI hype, LLM risks, metrics • Science policy, MAHA/RFK Jr., public health misinformation • Tech influence on academia, libraries, philanthropy, advocacyThis podcast examines how internet-era technologies and business models are reshaping science, especially the systems that validate, publish, and circulate scientific claims. Hosted by Kent Anderson and Joy Moore, it blends commentary on current events with interviews and recurring segments such as “Discoveries of the Week,” often connecting developments in science communication to broader political and economic forces.
Across the episodes, a central focus is the scientific publishing ecosystem: journals, peer review, preprints, research integrity, and the incentives created by open access and platform-driven distribution. The hosts frequently analyze how shifts toward speed, scale, and author-paid models can alter editorial standards, enable paper mills and other forms of fraud, and blur the meaning of “peer review.” They also discuss the role of metrics and attention economics—questioning how citation-based measures, altmetrics, and “sentiment” tools influence research behavior and public perceptions of credibility.
Another recurring theme is AI’s growing presence as both a tool and a narrative. The podcast explores how large language models and other AI systems act as new intermediaries—often opaque ones—in knowledge production and discovery workflows, and it weighs claims about efficiency against concerns about reliability, labor displacement, and the injection of low-quality or synthetic text into the literature. Several conversations situate AI within cycles of hype and investment, including the possibility of market corrections and the consequences for academia.
The show also devotes substantial attention to science policy and public health disputes, including misinformation and organized efforts to undermine established expertise. Topics include controversies around vaccines, regulatory and legal pressures on journals and public health institutions, the politics of research funding, and how advocacy and disinformation campaigns exploit social media dynamics. Interviews with editors, librarians, researchers, and technology critics highlight the practical challenges of maintaining accountability, transparency, and trust in an information environment increasingly mediated by platforms, private wealth, and politicized narratives.