Spinning the Genome: Why Science Hype Matters

There is a growing body of literature that describes both the degree to which science is hyped and how and why that hype happens. Hype can be described as an inappropriate exaggeration of the significance or potential value of a particular study or area of science. Evidence tells us that this spin happens throughout the science translation process. There is hype in research grants, peer-reviewed publications, scientific abstracts, institutional press releases, media representations, and, of course, in the associated marketing of a new product. There is also evidence that it has played a particularly significant role in the area of genetic research. Science hype is a complex phenomenon that involves many actors. And it is, at least to some degree, the result of systemic pressures imbedded in the current incentives associated with biomedical research. This article reviews what the evidence says about the sources of hype, the social and scientific harms, and what can be done to nudge us in the right direction.