Some people have asked what exactly a moderator does and I don't really have a great answer other than that moderators are people who have been here a long time and therefore care about the quality and integrity of the site.

So if a moderator sees something that damages the quality of the site, they can pull it.

But that isn't enough of an answer so I asked for a solid definition of what will get an article pulled and I am posting it here and in the FAQ. We're not editors but we have guidelines, even if only we knew them, so it's better to codify them so there is no confusion.

*** We are an open community, however we also aim to feature good quality science. Articles and comments that fall into any of the following categories can be deleted by the moderators:

1. Spam and off-topic posts: Posts that are advertisements for products, or just teaser links to your own off-site blog, or posts not even remotely related to science, may be deleted. However, philosophy of mind/knowledge, science fiction, science history, etc., are fine.

2. Posts promoting pseudoscience:

A. Classic pseudoscience  - creationism/intelligent design, violations of the first law of thermodynamics, homeopathy and other 'alternative' medicine treatments that are based on ideas that go against major long- and well-established principles of multiple scientific fields. 

B. Baseless speculative nonsense - claims, made without supporting evidence by people with no research training or track record in the relevant field, that suggest that major, fundamental knowledge of biology, chemistry, and/or physics is wrong. Comments can also be moderated by the author of the post because tolerance for vitriol, insults and hysteria are personal taste.