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A bit of a nitpick, but... > The system that derives truth from experiments - the actual scientific system... Yes! > ... is the competitive dynamic between s
by hiimkeks 2y ago
A bit of a nitpick, but...
> The system that derives truth from experiments - the actual scientific system...
Yes!
> ... is the competitive dynamic between scientists who are trying to tarnish each others' legacies and bolster their own.
Hm. To some degree, sure, that is one dynamic, but (a) this leads to/presupposes a truckload of perverse incentives and (b) this is not inherent in the system if we rearrange incentives
- llamaimperative 2y agoDo you have an idea for a better one? It is pretty darn close to natural selection, which while ugly, does produce surprisingly good results in many domains. Of course the implementation is far from perfect. For example, the interaction between impact factor and grant funding produces pressure toward ideological conformity and excessive analytical “creativity”. But the underlying principle of competitive scrutiny is probably a desirable one.
- komali2 2y ago> Do you have an idea for a better one? It is pretty darn close to natural selection, which while ugly, does produce surprisingly good results in many domains. Cooperation is also an extremely fit behavior in natural selection.
- llamaimperative 2y agoNot by itself it’s not. The “selection” part of natural selection is inherently competitive, even if some things cooperate as a competitive strategy. Obviously scientists can and do cooperate within the broader framework of competition.
- jtc331 2y agoHow do you eliminate the personal incentive to have found a meaningful result? I don’t think that can be changed without redesigning the human psyche.
- hiimkeks 2y agoI think the desire to do something meaningful can easily exist outside of a "competitive dynamic", which was the thing that felt off for me.