> Pete, you and many others on the list are more in tune with the multiple and various research reports. Do you generally agree with the thesis?

Yes, and no. I certainly know what it is to struggle to understand scientists, especially in fields with which we are not familiar. I try to find readable books on the technically difficult topics, so I also realize that it is possible to write for a general audience without "dumbing down" the material. 

On the other hand, it is easy to read technical stuff in your own field, and we would generally be annoyed or insulted by the lack of specificity if the papers were dumbed down. I often skim past the abstracts of bee related papers because they too often contain the usual litany about the importance of pollination, pollinators, etc. 

In the end, I would say the tell is that the referenced paper was cited by the Annals of Improbable Research, which generally highlights work for which there is dubious need, or otherwise lacking in merit other than as comic relief. Check it out, it's the perfect antidote for overwhelming seriousness. 

PLB

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