Researchers used AI to explain complex science. Results were mixed.

Raise your hand if you've ever stared at an academic paper, brows furrowed, wondering what the authors were trying to say. Perhaps you've even pulled up a separate tab to google any jargon that you came across. The good news is that you're not alone. A 2017 eLife study found that science papers from the mid-2010s were more difficult to read than papers from the 19th century. Features that seem to plague most modern academic papers are poorly constructed sentences and word choices, as well as unnecessary jargon and obscure acronyms.