Exactly this - they do try to remain independent but they sometimes obviously have biases towards certain operations of things.
For example, the only thing I care about with toilets are that they don’t break and they always flush and clear. Literally nothing else matters, but to test that you gotta poop in them and that’s hard to reproduce scientifically. So weird substitutes like golf balls and whatnot are used instead.
It’s also an integral problem with new car reviews, because you can’t review the durability of a new car, it’s an unknown. Substitutes end up dinging a car for a body panel alignment as much as a transmission replacement.
> to test that you gotta poop in them and that’s hard to reproduce scientifically. So weird substitutes like golf balls and whatnot are used instead.
Nah, just bring in some large dogs. You'll never be without mighty turds to dispose of.
Beyond that, entire rolls of toilet paper, socks, makeup cassettes, cigarettes, toy cars, bleach wipes, pads, tampons (with and without plastic applicators) and other nonfecal items are the things you should be testing your toilet with, since those are what will go down your pipe in production.
My FIL is the type to insist on buying whichever toilet can suck down the most golf balls. Pooping at his house means never having to sheepishly ask for a plunger. His is like an airplane toilet.
For example, the only thing I care about with toilets are that they don’t break and they always flush and clear. Literally nothing else matters, but to test that you gotta poop in them and that’s hard to reproduce scientifically. So weird substitutes like golf balls and whatnot are used instead.
It’s also an integral problem with new car reviews, because you can’t review the durability of a new car, it’s an unknown. Substitutes end up dinging a car for a body panel alignment as much as a transmission replacement.