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> Why there isn't something like Facebook for science? I hope not, why would there even be something as dreadful. Interdisciplinary research and science commun

by type0 7y ago

> Why there isn't something like Facebook for science? I hope not, why would there even be something as dreadful. Interdisciplinary research and science communication are great things and yes there are those who pursue PhDs in that but it's very difficult career wise. One huge problem is the amount of jargon each and every field accumulates, there are also a too many gibberish meta research papers written and published, they're using the right scientific words and packed with clever explanations but are mostly utterly worthless. And the worthlessness doesn't end there, splitting one subject and it's findings into different articles is just one of those anti-patterns made to show the number of papers to receive more grants.

macando 7y ago
Thanks for the insights. Facebook for science is a bad metaphor, maybe the Slack for science or something like that is more appropriate. How to build a platform for scientists with incentive structures that reward meaningful research instead of grant fueled hyper-production of fluff?
- type0 7y ago
  Maybe form an incubator a la YC but for scientist in cross disciplinary fields (or involve existing ones), then connect the scientist on the interest basis and they maybe deliver some platform for online collaboration, it's the collaboration part online that's the difficult part. Anyone with some programming skills could throw together a django install with orcid.org login but what do with the platform if the most important. Most of these efforts end up like Figshare, holding the data but not encouraging anyone to go outside their boundaries of the field.
  - macando 7y ago
    It seems it's about discovery and incentives. Which interesting/important project to join and why. Something like GitHub and Open Source Software is possible because programmers can easily make money on the side while donating their time to something they believe in. Plus being successful at that will bring them even more high paying gigs.

by type0 7y ago

macando 7y ago

Thanks for the insights. Facebook for science is a bad metaphor, maybe the Slack for science or something like that is more appropriate. How to build a platform for scientists with incentive structures that reward meaningful research instead of grant fueled hyper-production of fluff?

type0 7y ago
Maybe form an incubator a la YC but for scientist in cross disciplinary fields (or involve existing ones), then connect the scientist on the interest basis and they maybe deliver some platform for online collaboration, it's the collaboration part online that's the difficult part. Anyone with some programming skills could throw together a django install with orcid.org login but what do with the platform if the most important. Most of these efforts end up like Figshare, holding the data but not encouraging anyone to go outside their boundaries of the field.
- macando 7y ago
  It seems it's about discovery and incentives. Which interesting/important project to join and why. Something like GitHub and Open Source Software is possible because programmers can easily make money on the side while donating their time to something they believe in. Plus being successful at that will bring them even more high paying gigs.