Problem is many people read science news for the 'human element,' the big take-away that explains why the research was done — something which rarely exists, but that doesn't stop people from expecting it.
Good science articles at science-focused sites often do go into such detail, but if you read a science article at CNN or gawker, you're going to get a version tweaked for their audience, and abbreviated to boot. Multiple explanations and bouncing possible confounding variables off multiple experts isn't an option if the writer has one hour to create the article and it mustn't exceed 300 words.
Good science articles at science-focused sites often do go into such detail, but if you read a science article at CNN or gawker, you're going to get a version tweaked for their audience, and abbreviated to boot. Multiple explanations and bouncing possible confounding variables off multiple experts isn't an option if the writer has one hour to create the article and it mustn't exceed 300 words.