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But there is one feature I notice that is generally missing in Cargo Cult Science. That is the idea that we all hope you have learned in studying science in sc

But there is one feature I notice that is generally missing in Cargo Cult Science. That is the idea that we all hope you have learned in studying science in school—we never explicitly say what this is, but just hope that you catch on by all the examples of scientific investigation. It is interesting, therefore, to bring it out now and speak of it explicitly. It’s a kind of scientific integrity, a principle of scientific thought that corresponds to a kind of utter honesty—a kind of leaning over backwards. For example, if you’re doing an experiment, you should report everything that you think might make it invalid—not only what you think is right about it: other causes that could possibly explain your results; and things you thought of that you’ve eliminated by some other experiment, and how they worked—to make sure the other fellow can tell they have been eliminated. Richard Feynman

truculation 9y ago
Feynman again, on the topic of prizes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEUcmKDaklY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEUcmKDaklY So the real prize is seeing one's work used by others in their work.
YeGoblynQueenne 9y ago
That's great in principle. In practice, to keep doing the work of science you need to keep getting funding; and to keep getting funding you need to keep publishing (read: to respectable conferences and journals). Unfortunately, the most respectable journals have a nasty tendency to refuse to publish negative, or even equivocal results. And that puts a lot of pressure on researchers to find a signal, somehow, anyhow- and to viciously attack any suspicion that the signal was just a spider on the lens or whatever. Which is not to say Feynamn is wrong. On the contrary: reform is sorely needed. But reform can only come from the inside, and the only people "inside" are those who accept they must play by the rules, rotten as they are. Bottom line: we all want to Do the Right Thing, For Science. But doing the right thing and still doing science is getting harder and harder as time goes by.

truculation 9y ago

Feynman again, on the topic of prizes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEUcmKDaklY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEUcmKDaklY So the real prize is seeing one's work used by others in their work.

YeGoblynQueenne 9y ago

That's great in principle. In practice, to keep doing the work of science you need to keep getting funding; and to keep getting funding you need to keep publishing (read: to respectable conferences and journals). Unfortunately, the most respectable journals have a nasty tendency to refuse to publish negative, or even equivocal results. And that puts a lot of pressure on researchers to find a signal, somehow, anyhow- and to viciously attack any suspicion that the signal was just a spider on the lens or whatever. Which is not to say Feynamn is wrong. On the contrary: reform is sorely needed. But reform can only come from the inside, and the only people "inside" are those who accept they must play by the rules, rotten as they are. Bottom line: we all want to Do the Right Thing, For Science. But doing the right thing and still doing science is getting harder and harder as time goes by.