EpicAglet's recent activity
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Comment on Journal that published faulty black plastic study removed from science index in ~science
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Comment on Journal that published faulty black plastic study removed from science index in ~science
EpicAglet Link ParentI find it hard to judge off of this article. The responsibility you can put on the journal for the quality of the research that they publish is limited. Ultimately, they have to rely on external...I find it hard to judge off of this article. The responsibility you can put on the journal for the quality of the research that they publish is limited. Ultimately, they have to rely on external reviewers to properly vet the science.
What I gather from the article is that their peer review and editorial process is flawed and that is part of the problem here. But even in very good journals, sometimes stuff slips through the cracks.
Unfortunately, the article is quite vague on what the problems are exactly and I am not familiar with the study or journal in question to judge.
Basically what I am trying to say is that this could happen could happen in any journal, but the issue appears to be systematic. If it were an isolated incident they wouldn't (and probably shouldn't) get this kind of backlash.
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Comment on Heat pumps used to struggle in the cold. Not anymore. in ~enviro
EpicAglet Link ParentYour buddy isn't called Troy by any chance, right?Your buddy isn't called Troy by any chance, right?
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Comment on James Webb Space Telescope finds stunning evidence for alternate theory of gravity in ~space
EpicAglet Link ParentI like to think of it like the aether, which was another concept that at the time made sense and worked in the models they had. But then they started trying to actually test it and the concept was...I like to think of it like the aether, which was another concept that at the time made sense and worked in the models they had. But then they started trying to actually test it and the concept was abandoned since it disagreed with relativity which was adopted instead.
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Comment on Billions in election bets are raising the stakes in the US presidential race in ~society
EpicAglet (edited )Link ParentMe neither. Immediately makes me think of the possibility that the people behind assassination attempts on Trump were just because they bet their life-savings on Kamala. It's not what happened,...Me neither. Immediately makes me think of the possibility that the people behind assassination attempts on Trump were just because they bet their life-savings on Kamala. It's not what happened, but the fact that it doesn't sound so absurd to me if that were the case is scary in and of itself. The stakes are already high enough. Someone should make a movie with that as plot though
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Comment on Barcelona is turning subway trains into power stations in ~engineering
EpicAglet Link ParentMy personal suspicion is that there is somehow government money involved. Something like this ticks two boxes on some green energy grant application. Plus if you're not the one paying for (part...My personal suspicion is that there is somehow government money involved. Something like this ticks two boxes on some green energy grant application. Plus if you're not the one paying for (part of) the costs, that might change the maths to the point where this is the most logical.
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Comment on English still rules the world, but that’s not necessarily OK. Is it time to curb its power? in ~humanities.languages
EpicAglet Link ParentFully agree. The fact that there's a language with which you can communicate with a very large part of the world is one of the good things about modern society. To throw that away would be...Fully agree. The fact that there's a language with which you can communicate with a very large part of the world is one of the good things about modern society. To throw that away would be foolish. The fact that this language happens to be English matters much less.
Signed, a fellow non-native English speaker.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~talk
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Comment on Germany’s expansion of border controls is testing European unity in ~society
EpicAglet Link ParentThe problems around the refugee centers in the Netherlands are also well documented. So this is not entirely accurate. Knife related incidents in Ter Apel are quite common. I still think at least...The problems around the refugee centers in the Netherlands are also well documented. So this is not entirely accurate. Knife related incidents in Ter Apel are quite common.
I still think at least some part of it is indeed due to the system, and closing the borders is just to score some cheap political points, but the issue seems to not be isolated to Germany.
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Comment on What game do you consider an unconventional masterpiece? in ~games
EpicAglet Link ParentThere is a YouTuber that seems to share your opinion, so I remember watching a video about it. I think it was this one.There is a YouTuber that seems to share your opinion, so I remember watching a video about it. I think it was this one.
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Comment on GitLab is reportedly up for sale in ~tech
EpicAglet Link ParentI am normal people (my mom had me tested) and I use GitLab. Have no issues cheating repos, so don't know what was going on when you tried it.I am normal people (my mom had me tested) and I use GitLab. Have no issues cheating repos, so don't know what was going on when you tried it.
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Comment on What's your attitude about Russian classic literature? in ~books
EpicAglet Link ParentWhat I understand from my Russian speaking gf, Dostoyevsky's way of writing doesn't really translate to other languages. His way of writing is very poetic and pleasant in Russian, but it loses...What I understand from my Russian speaking gf, Dostoyevsky's way of writing doesn't really translate to other languages. His way of writing is very poetic and pleasant in Russian, but it loses that when you translate it so it just ends up being long and boring
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Comment on 10,000-hour indie RPG goes free-to-play as devs aren't comfortable making "tens of thousands of dollars from people who don't play the game" in ~games
EpicAglet Link ParentIt still seems like a good deal for consumers to be able to try the game like this. So if it makes sense from a business perspective too, that's great for them. Hope it turns out well and others...It still seems like a good deal for consumers to be able to try the game like this. So if it makes sense from a business perspective too, that's great for them. Hope it turns out well and others start to copy this model. It's a shame demos are not too common anymore.
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Comment on Weekly Israel-Hamas war megathread - week of May 6 in ~news
EpicAglet Link ParentBut that's a different matter than a ceasefire. A ceasefire requires both sidesBut that's a different matter than a ceasefire. A ceasefire requires both sides
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Comment on Weekly Israel-Hamas war megathread - week of May 6 in ~news
EpicAglet Link ParentThat's a bit unfair though. Regardless of who's doing what in the conflict, a ceasefire would involve some kind of agreement between both parties. So unless both sides are working towards that...This is true, but the way I see it, as I've articulated in another comment a bit ago, is that Israel is the one who's responsibility it is to get a ceasefire to happen.
That's a bit unfair though. Regardless of who's doing what in the conflict, a ceasefire would involve some kind of agreement between both parties. So unless both sides are working towards that it's not going to happen. Solely putting the responsibility on the Israelis is then unfair.
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Comment on San Francisco sues Oakland over proposed airport name change in ~transport
EpicAglet Link ParentTbf these types of situations are not unique. Look at London and how many airports it has. Or New York City for that matter. You should always check where the airport is if you're travelling...Tbf these types of situations are not unique. Look at London and how many airports it has. Or New York City for that matter.
You should always check where the airport is if you're travelling anyhow. I'd pick an airport that's one and a half hours away by light rail if the tickets are much cheaper or somehow more convenient.
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Comment on San Francisco sues Oakland over proposed airport name change in ~transport
EpicAglet Link ParentAnd if you arrive there by plane as a tourist, your car is not at Oakland airport. So that is mainly a concern for locals.And if you arrive there by plane as a tourist, your car is not at Oakland airport. So that is mainly a concern for locals.
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Comment on Trains on the Moon in ~transport
EpicAglet Link ParentI don't necessarily think heat would be that much of an issue depending on where. You're not in space, but on the lunar surface. So you have a massive (in places very cold) heatsink available....I don't necessarily think heat would be that much of an issue depending on where. You're not in space, but on the lunar surface. So you have a massive (in places very cold) heatsink available.
There's places on the moon that can get fairly hot though, so perhaps that causes some issues somehow. But that's a different problem I suppose. Also there are very large temperature swings on the equator which I guess can be problematic.
But since you bring up maglev, that's an interesting point. Again depending on where on the moon, you can get very low temperatures giving you quite some options in superconductors to use. So that could get quite interesting.
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Comment on Trains on the Moon in ~transport
EpicAglet (edited )Link ParentIt would fall under astrophysics AFAIK, but these questions would be better asked to someone in an engineering role for NASA for example. I'm also not expert but if anything, I'd imagine the lack...It would fall under astrophysics AFAIK, but these questions would be better asked to someone in an engineering role for NASA for example.
I'm also not expert but if anything, I'd imagine the lack of atmosphere in and of itself increases the longevity. At least of the metal parts. Radiation doesn't seem like a big deal for a big chuck of steel either. So I reckon it indeed comes down to meteorites etc impacting the rail.
Other parts of the railway network I imagine being more fragile. Any electronics used for instance will need to be able to withstand the increased radiation levels compared to earth.
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Comment on Pharma bro Martin Shkreli goes ballistic on US federal appeals court for upholding lifetime ban from pharma industry in ~health
EpicAglet Link ParentI'm a bit torn about Martin Shkreli. One one hand, when the aliens finally come in force I want them to abduct him, so they can bring him back to his home planet. On the other hand, we run the...I'm a bit torn about Martin Shkreli.
One one hand, when the aliens finally come in force I want them to abduct him, so they can bring him back to his home planet.
On the other hand, we run the risk that they assume he's one of us which would mark our species for extermination.
Indeed! There seem to be larger issues and 8 retractions seems like a lot to me too.
I'm curious though why it happens.
My experience is that the editor only really checks if the paper is a good fit for the journal and then finds reviewers. So then are the editors not finding reviewers that are actually qualified? Or do they accept papers anyway even if the refs recommend rejection? Or does the journal just attract papers of a certain quality? So many questions...
Retractions every now and then happen and normally I would not blame the journal (I have enough other reasons to dislike academic publishers haha) even if the authors made such an obvious mistake. The process is not perfect even if done right. We also had once that one of our papers got accepted and we were left with the impression that none of the reviewers spent much time reading the manuscript. And that was a very prestigious journal in my field.
But the fact that it seems so common in their case is quite concerning and that's what people ought to be focussing on. That one specific retraction makes for a good headline but I'm a bit worried it makes people miss the point because they are not familiar with how journals work.