This is a news website article about a scientific paper

[SecularMotion]

In the standfirst I will make a fairly obvious pun about the subject matter before posing an inane question I have no intention of really answering: is this an important scientific finding?

In this paragraph I will state the main claim that the research makes, making appropriate use of "scare quotes" to ensure that it's clear that I have no opinion about this research whatsoever.

In this paragraph I will briefly (because no paragraph should be more than one line) state which existing scientific ideas this new research "challenges".

If the research is about a potential cure, or a solution to a problem, this paragraph will describe how it will raise hopes for a group of sufferers or victims.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/the-lay-scientist/2010/sep/24/1

[annabanana]

1. What is this? . . .a homework assignment?

(OP does NOT make me want to click)

[ret5hd]

3. WHOOSH!

[MineralMan]

2. That's great. And so true.

Today's science writers for the popular media are hopelessly stupid, for the most part. They neither understand what they're writing about on any level or they bring their own bias to their story. I no longer read them, but click through to the source material immediately.

[gtar100]

4. A template for all budding newspaper science writers.

It's the proper way to beat a deadline, provide material and get home on time. What else matters?

[unblock]

5. in this reply subject i will take the reader down a garden path of standard conservative sound bites

and finish with an ironic liberal flourish;

then pepper the bottom of the message with appropriate emoticons
:evilgrin:
:rofl:

[unblock]

6. bwahaha! click on "Unrelated story from 2007 matched by keyword analysis."

:rofl:

[caraher]

7. Reminds me of this

From Charlie Brooker's "Newswipe"