Why This Matters| Lazy Lab Coat
I originally planned to write another response to the reaction of SMIS to this article, but I realised there's no point in arguing with a cult. Instead, I have decided to zoom out and take a broader look at what SMIS represents. This is not just about one very sad group. It's about anyone trying to sell you a simple explanation or a quick “debunk” of something that’s deeply complex.| Lazy Lab Coat
The paper is published in Journal of Angiology & Vascular Surgery, an outlet of Herald Scholarly Open Access, a publisher that appears on Beall’s list of potential predatory publishers and is not indexed in the usual scientific databases.| Lazy Lab Coat
On platforms like Instagram and TikTok, what matters is not who you really are, but how well you present a version of yourself that others will like and share. People build online identities that are more polished than their real lives. These images and impressions become more important than the person behind them. We don’t just live with this kind of make-believe; we live inside it.| Lazy Lab Coat
Peer review is one of the pillars of science, but let’s be honest, most of us have read reviews that range from clueless to petty to outright destructive. From sloppy reviews that give no real criticism, to overzealous brainstorming sessions listing every possible experiment under the sun, the spectrum of bad reviewing is wide. If you're going to spend your precious time reviewing a paper, here’s how to do it right and efficiently.| Lazy Lab Coat
Preprints are great open science tools that boost reach, speed up publishing, and promote transparency. Publish fast, celebrate open science, and achieve world peace! Right? Or is it more like...making a move just a bit too early, where things come out before they’re fully ready? It’s all fun and games until you realize you’ve released something half-baked into the wild.| Lazy Lab Coat
Let’s be honest: Scientific literature is a cornerstone of our work, but it's becoming increasingly tricky to navigate. Non-reproducible studies, paper mills, predatory journals, and dubious peer reviews are making it harder to separate genuine data from bad science.| www.lazylabcoat.com
Why This Matters| www.lazylabcoat.com
Last month, a preprint, partially authored by the Czech group SMIS, linked COVID-19 vaccination to decreased fertility in Czech women. Six journal editors read the submission and rejected it before peer review even began. SMIS and its followers interpreted this as censorship and an attempt to suppress inconvenient truths, but in reality, it reflected a rapid and justified response to fundamental scientific flaws. That speed isn't arrogance; it’s professional triage. Editors handle hundreds ...| www.lazylabcoat.com