Almost anyone who reads a paer has heard of it , and its claims of importance are highly regarded. The public is always a part of the equation, especially when they're being led on. Money is key, and the public is there to be manipulated. Think of the repertoire of astronomy photographs and images that have been bled to the public over the years. Our layman's sense of what is out there was carefully constructed for us.
IThese industries are highly dependent on their ability to construct a public face.
The Human Genome Project is almost all show. A lot of mediocre ideas get substantial funding. Every now and then, someone on the inside writes a tell-all book. A lack of desire to do good, or to support those whose research is to do good, whether or not their methods of inquiry lie outside the fashions and trends of the moment. A good treatment that has little m0ney-making potential may never be brought to market.