Yup

Motte-and-bailey fallacy abound

Nature (not the magazine) doesn't care if you published a peer-reviewed paper in a high-impact journal.

It doesn't care if reviewer 2 thinks you need to quote his friend

It also doesn't care that you think a dewormer works against a virus because it doesn't

> What exactly is the scientific method?

Trying and seeing what sticks. That's literally it.

Of course publishing (and publicity) forces like to jiggle that one way or another