Science eats its seed corn 28 Oct 2009 An essay in PLoS Biology observes that the state of granting in science is having a chilling effect on research, by selecting for a lack of originality and allowing too short a time frame to plan and undertake research. As a result, scientists are dropping out of doing science altogether early in what should have been their careers. As the author, Peter Lawrence, says, having described the plight of “K” (not the Kafka character, but close): K.’s plight (an authentic one) illustrates how the present funding system in science eats its own seed corn[2]. To expect a young scientist to recruit and train students and postdocs as well as producing and publishing new and original work within two years (in order to fuel the next grant application) is preposterous. It is neither right nor sensible to ask scientists to become astrologists and predict precisely the path their research will follow—and then to judge them on how persuasively they can put over this fiction. It takes far too long to write a grant because the requirements are so complex and demanding. Applications have become so detailed and so technical that trying to select the best proposals has become a dark art. This is not confined to the sciences, of course, but it is particularly problematic there. I have watched a number of academics struggle to find funding while trying to run an existing research project. One almost needs to have done the present project altogether before you apply for the funds. General Science Politics
General Science Bright flash on Australian mountain 19 Jun 2009 A bright flash has occurred near Gin Gin in Queensland, followed by a fire on the mountain. Authorities are not saying what it was, but the locals have come up with the most likely explanation: space junk, rubbish that has re-entered. About ten years ago I was driving my kids… Read More
Education What is “secular”? 13 May 200918 Sep 2017 In keeping with the last post on humanities, I thought I’d ruminate with no effort or knowledge to back it up on what the term “secular” means. If the fundamentalists are to be believed, it is a synonym of “humanist” and also “Satanist”, “infidel” and “homosexual”. But somewhat more seriously,… Read More
Ecology and Biodiversity Wilkins breaks away from the pack 25 Mar 200818 Sep 2017 Okay, so it’s the Wilkins Ice Shelf, but it’s even more important than news about me. The 6000 square mile (15,540 km2) ice shelf named for Sir Hubert Wilkins, the famous Australian Antarctic explorer (and very possibly some kind of relation), is breaking off due to global warming. This is… Read More
How odd – I’m basically a scientist who has dropped out of science for that reason, and I keep meeting other smart scientists in the same boat or at the very least having trouble staying motivated to finish up the PhD. And doing the research before writing the grant is not new. I met several rather senior scientists in the 1990s who only kept their large, established labs running with tricks like that.