Do scientists tell people every thing they know ?

I'm sorry to have to tell that the scientists at this site will not be answering your question. Next time, try posting only once.

They probably leave out the boring stuff. Why would they hide anything?

If they are working on sponsored or funded research, they usually wont share their work until after the work is reported and published.'Grey lit funding" as consultants usually work within, is very competitive also . Consider a mining exploration company being hired by a major oil company to find oil reserves. All the science and engineering consultants usually work on a confidentiality "non disclosure" basis.

Most of what we read in science news is usually several years old. Even stuff as "Kid friendly" as finding fossils. For example, in 2006 a team of scientists reported the finding of a new fossil which was half fish/half tetrapod. When the science work was reported in the popular literature, it was already 3 years old and all the peer review hoopla was past.

Obviously, there must be some instances where scientists do not report everything they have found. But beyond "findings" it is obvious that we do not receive accounts of "EVERY THING THEY KNOW", especially their methodological knowledge. We must remember that science is a method, not just a description of findings.

I hadn't thought of it that way. I was thinking in terms of "conspiracy" to withhold information on a grand scale. And I don't think that happens.

JLN makes a good point--and it must also be borne in mind that many people, especially in academic endeavors, are very poor at communicating what they know because they are not necessarily aware of what other people don't know.