Yes and no. They're "interesting lines of research" except when they're in your field, then they're foundations or anchor points for your work, past, present, and future.
I'm not going to disagree that a lot gets lost in translation between academic article and the lay-person who hears a story on the nightly news, but I don't think gatekeeping academic research is the answer, but rather more emphasis on critical thinking and critical reading.
I'm not going to disagree that a lot gets lost in translation between academic article and the lay-person who hears a story on the nightly news, but I don't think gatekeeping academic research is the answer, but rather more emphasis on critical thinking and critical reading.