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An opinionated post that reflects on a meta-science topic. Opinion pieces can include recommendations.

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Ecology at a Crossroads: The Tension Between Publishing and Innovating

Ecology at a Crossroads: The Tension Between Publishing and Innovating

The “orchestrator” design of ChatGPT-5 exemplifies how generative AI models, by becoming fluid services rather than static tools, make scientific replication impossible in principle, not just difficult in practice. Why is scientific publishing holding itself back? Pressure to publish in elite journals fuels politics, fragments fields like ecology, and weakens true peer review—could new tools help create a fairer, more objective editorial system?

When scientists are targeted, what helps?

When scientists are targeted, what helps?

Institutions often applaud public engagement, until the backlash begins. Then what? At a Berlin workshop, researchers explored how to move from awareness to action.

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