This is tremendously unfair, though. The "scientific community" is not responsible for these university press releases and popular science journalism. The papers themselves almost never contain claims that aren't propertly quantified and modest, outside of grifter realms like psychologists selling self-help services.

We're not going to stop the press, and the scientists themselves are usually already doing the right thing. The only real hope I see is for the public to somehow come to better understand the difference between science and the press. When you see this, absolutely point it out, but place the blame where it belongs, on newspapers, magazines, and university PR departments, not on the researchers.