This is a very poor attempt at a strawman, nobody thinks that Twitter is where scientific research is funded or conducted. Its role in the process is that of the stick, not the carrot. When people, including scientists, make statements or publish results that challenge certain political narratives, users on Twitter will harass, boycott and/or dox that person, their family, and their employer, leading to a climate of fear and the inability to have open and honest discussion on a number of topics.