Editorial Guidelines and Standards

How the site is operated, how content is chosen, and the standards I uphold.

1. The Mission

I am a dedicated science teacher, and I started this website with a simple goal. I want to preserve classic science education and bring it into the modern classroom, supplemented with current scientific understanding.

You can read the full story of why I started this project on the About Seriously Scientific page. This page, however, is about the rules I follow to ensure the content you find here is trustworthy, accurate, and helpful.

2. My Commitment to Accuracy and Clarity

My primary commitment is to the facts. Science can be complicated. It is easy for summaries to exaggerate findings or miss the nuance. I commit to reporting scientific discoveries and explaining concepts clearly and honestly.

When creating new content or lessons, I rely on peer reviewed studies, established academic resources, and institutional research. I believe it is crucial to explain the context of a discovery and, importantly, mention the limitations of the research. I will never intentionally mislead or use sensationalized “clickbait” headlines.

3. Sourcing and the Weight of Evidence

Credibility matters in science. Whenever I publish a news article or create a new interactive lesson, I will clearly cite and link to the primary sources (the actual scientific papers or data) so you can check the information yourself.

It is also important to understand what we call the “weight of evidence.” Sometimes, new or unconventional ideas emerge in science. If they are peer reviewed and present interesting questions, I might cover them, but I will always make it clear where the scientific consensus stands. I will not present a fringe idea as equally valid as something with overwhelming evidence.

4. Handling Archival Content (The Classics)

A huge part of Seriously Scientific is remastering and presenting classic science shows. These shows are incredible educational tools, but science moves fast.

One of my main reasons for undertaking this project is to show how science evolves and changes over time.

I am committed to preserving the integrity of the original broadcasts. However, I recognize that some information in these older shows might now be outdated. I address this directly:

1. Interactive Lessons: The lessons accompanying the videos include sections specifically dedicated to how science has advanced since the show originally aired.
2. Episode Information: If necessary, I will add clear notes about significant scientific advancements or corrections in the episode information panel.

The goal is not to erase the past but to use it as a tool to understand the present.

5. Editorial Independence and Funding

As of this moment, Seriously Scientific is purely a one person project, funded entirely by me. There are no corporate sponsors, grants, or external influences directing the content I choose to remaster or the articles I write.

If the site grows and the remastering costs increase, I might explore options like Patreon, donations, or advertising to support the project in the future. If anything changes regarding funding or partnerships, I will update this section immediately. I will always clearly state how that funding works and how I maintain complete editorial independence.

6. The Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

A project of this scale, involving 1000’s of hours of video restoration and extensive research, would be nearly impossible today for one person without some modern tools. I use AI in two specific ways:

1. Remastering and Upscaling: I use AI powered software to help improve the video quality of these old shows, assisting with initial cleanup and increasing the resolution. However, AI tools still have significant limitations. A significant amount of the restoration work, including detailed noise removal, color correction, and editing, is still done meticulously by hand.
2. Research Assistance: AI tools help me quickly locate relevant papers, find sources, summarize background information, and organize research materials.

It is crucial to understand that AI is just a tool, not a replacement for understanding. Every article published and every lesson created is researched, edited, and assembled by me, a human. The final editorial decisions, the explanations, and the accuracy checks are always my responsibility.

7. Corrections and Feedback

I strive for accuracy in everything I post, but as I mentioned already, I am only human. Sometimes it is easy to misinterpret a complex study or overlook a detail.

If you believe I have made an error or have concerns about the content, please do not hesitate to contact me. I genuinely welcome feedback and commit to correcting mistakes promptly and transparently.