5 ms·
> a context where getting the "right" answer is the only incentive. This looks like such a fundamental problem to me. Zooming out, studies are explorative into
by Griffinsauce 5y ago
> a context where getting the "right" answer is the only incentive.
This looks like such a fundamental problem to me. Zooming out, studies are explorative into the unknown, outside of our knowledge. We should expect most of them to find nothing.
- tsbischof 5y agoIt is worse than nothing, because incorrect positive results and non-published negative results lead people to waste years of their lives building off something which is not true.
- ajsnigrutin 5y agoYep, and "nothing" (as in "the effect of X on Y is zero") is a meaningful result, possibly a very important one, but being "nothing", it has a lot lower chance of actually getting published.
- Retric 5y agoThe issue is “nothing” is not sufficient to assume zero effect, it just means the effect wasn’t measured. Actual progress means trying to replicate both positive and negative results.
- ajsnigrutin 5y agoWell yeah, but if you're trying to "cure cancer", and in a (just made-up) theory an acidic environment should help with cancer, so you try lemon juice, and it shows that lemon juice cures as much cancer as placebo does, that seems publishable to me.