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Seems like we need to increase the visibility and prestige associated with disproving published results. Right now, submitting data that contradicts a publishe

Seems like we need to increase the visibility and prestige associated with disproving published results. Right now, submitting data that contradicts a published paper is likely to be ignored, treated with hostility, or swept under the rug. At very best, you'll get a small publication of a retraction. Disproving published results needs to be at least as prestigious as producing novel results. If we can't swing that - it would be great for graduate student research work...

colechristensen 9y ago
Perhaps an open-access Disprove Journal?
- lolptdr 9y ago
  That is an amazing and fascinating idea. It should be run on a public facing front with fact-checkers of these fact-checkers who are anonymous.
lliamander 9y ago
A story I heard once was that, back in the 60's, IBM was having problems with engineering quality (quelle surprise). This lead to the formation of a testing team called the Black Team. The Black Team developed a culture that prided itself on breaking systems the engineers thought were rock solid. They delighted at making engineers cry. They even started coming to work dressed in all black and sporting sinister mustaches. Consequently, many of the quality issues abated. I don't know if it's true, but it sounds like it might be a good idea. How might we get funding though? Perhaps with a prediction market (people bet on whether scientific hypotheses will be disproved/confirmed)? It could be fun.
leksak 9y ago
Whenever I start working somewhere new one of my side projects outside of whatever assigned work or feature work that I have is to write a test case that proves that something that was thought to be in a certain way isn't. After having done so I suddenly feel way more comfortable at my desk. I'd love to prove things wrong for my master's thesis but novelty is a grading criterion so that's a no-go.

colechristensen 9y ago

Perhaps an open-access Disprove Journal?

lolptdr 9y ago
That is an amazing and fascinating idea. It should be run on a public facing front with fact-checkers of these fact-checkers who are anonymous.

lliamander 9y ago

A story I heard once was that, back in the 60's, IBM was having problems with engineering quality (quelle surprise). This lead to the formation of a testing team called the Black Team. The Black Team developed a culture that prided itself on breaking systems the engineers thought were rock solid. They delighted at making engineers cry. They even started coming to work dressed in all black and sporting sinister mustaches. Consequently, many of the quality issues abated. I don't know if it's true, but it sounds like it might be a good idea. How might we get funding though? Perhaps with a prediction market (people bet on whether scientific hypotheses will be disproved/confirmed)? It could be fun.

leksak 9y ago

Whenever I start working somewhere new one of my side projects outside of whatever assigned work or feature work that I have is to write a test case that proves that something that was thought to be in a certain way isn't. After having done so I suddenly feel way more comfortable at my desk. I'd love to prove things wrong for my master's thesis but novelty is a grading criterion so that's a no-go.