What is the function of the sentence 'A finding is not science until it has been repeated'?
A finding is not science until it has been repeated. Yet in several fields, attempts to replicate celebrated studies have often failed. Some commentators conclude that science is broken. That goes too far. Failed replications are themselves scientific results, and the fact that they are being published shows the system correcting itself. The real defect lies in incentives: journals reward novelty, careers depend on publishing positive results, and nobody gains from confirming what is already believed. Changes such as registering study plans in advance and publishing negative results would shift the balance. It is a mistake to treat a self-correcting system's discovery of its own flaws as proof that it cannot be trusted.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. It states a standard by which the failed replications can be seen as important
- Step 1: The sentence introduces repetition as the test of science.
- Step 2: That makes failed replications relevant and valuable.
Answer
It states a standard by which the failed replications can be seen as important.
Why not the others: The sentence does not say findings are false, that repetition is costly, or that failures are unscientific.
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