The Chronicle of Higher Education has published a short article outlining the signs to watch for in evaluating science:
- The discoverer pitches the claim directly to the media
- The discoverer says that a powerful establishment is trying to suppress his or her work
- The scientific effect involved is always at the very limit of detection
- Evidence for a discovery is anecdotal
- The discoverer says a belief is credible because it has endured for centuries
- The discoverer has worked in isolation
- The discoverer must propose new laws of nature to explain an observation
Read the article for elaboration on each point.