> That's why replication has to be required and standard.

"has to be required"... This is a passive construct. Who will do the requiring and what precisely will motivate them to such a change and what will get them the buy-in from the other players in this whole ecosystem, especially the ones who provide the money? What if it turns out that those people who do the funding actually in the deepest of their deepest are fine with "groundbreaking" research results that simply sound like being "groundbreaking" research results to such an extent that their prestige and social status rises enough and are seen as someone who funds such research, instead of truly caring about the actual contents of said research? There is much more demand (backed with money) for (plausibly-claimable) innovation and breakthroughs than supply of real novel thought. It's a bit like the anecdote that all the True Cross relics across Catholic churches weigh more than the cross Jesus carried (not really true as a fact though). As long as there is such strong demand, the system will adapt to allow for the supply finding its way.