Science News

Accolades on “Science, Hype and Profit: a Perilous Mix” (Jan. 24). Whereas the scientific fields have generally been imbued with a jargon all but indecipherable to the layperson, recent years have emphasized the “giving away” of the natural and social sciences. So you have the daily papers, The Times included, regularly including the most recent discoveries.

However, there is a significant difference between learning science via front-page sound bites and actually perusing the journal article of interest, where all the caveats and limitations are explicated. We have the double-edged sword of making the sciences intelligible to the masses without compromising the integrity of the scientific endeavor. Your article does an excellent job of addressing this thorny dilemma.

DALE GLASER

San Diego