tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5588126970544264673.post3856117181782127009..comments2024-01-03T17:20:36.960-05:00Comments on Thoughts Arise: Is "Flat" Science "Real" Science?Marc Merlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946231992925684244noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5588126970544264673.post-91525666574944010892009-06-24T23:02:01.726-04:002009-06-24T23:02:01.726-04:00Hi Marc
Just a couple thoughts. In order to do h...Hi Marc<br /><br />Just a couple thoughts. In order to do homemade science, you must, of course, choose a problem that does not require great expense to investigate. I am acquainted with a number of physicists, some for example at undergrad teaching institutions who have done wonderful science by carefully choosing important problems that can be done on a shoestring. They are quite connected to the "hierarchy" through publications etc, which I think they must be in order for their work to undergo the proper scrutiny.<br /><br />You don't need the big funding/resource machine for carefully chosen problems, but science requires the vetting of peers.<br /><br />Talk to you soon.<br /><br />KenKen Singernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5588126970544264673.post-77312934602163862732009-06-06T12:39:25.383-04:002009-06-06T12:39:25.383-04:00Dear Marc,
You are a fantastic science writer -- ...Dear Marc,<br /><br />You are a fantastic science writer -- clear, thoughtful, and careful (I noticed you didn't fall for the trap of trying to define `science'). <br /><br />As to the idea of ``flat science'' is not real science, I see examples all the time where the lack of peer review and disdain for `elite' (informed) opinion, lead to unreliable claims and results. One example is the cold fusion community, many of whom don't have strong physics backgrounds, yet are convinced that Pons and Fleishman were right after all (and some do have strong physics backgrounds, and have decided to risk their careers pursuing it).<br /><br />And in my own field of mathematics, if you can call it a science, there is the amateur mathematician. Ever now and then I get a letter from an amateur mathematician claiming to have proved this or that important theorem, and invariably they are wrong or their result is not important.<br /><br />Many of these cases of wasted effort could be avoided if only these amateurs had bothered to get a good education in their subject of research. In the case of amateur physicists, a good solid undergraduate education in physics (I at least have that, and am not a physicist), and an appreciation of the law of conservation of mass-energy should be a minimum requirement; and, in math, some basic requirements are an understanding of how to write proofs, and a basic knowledge of higher algebra and number theory. <br /><br />There is a book I read a year or so ago that is well worth reading, full of many more examples from outside science. It is called ``The cult of the amateur'', by Andrew Keen. I recommend it.<br /><br />Best,<br /><br />ErnieErnie Crootnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5588126970544264673.post-29715281675581268232009-06-02T09:37:07.182-04:002009-06-02T09:37:07.182-04:00Marc,
Thanks for your thoughtful commentary. I a...Marc,<br /><br />Thanks for your thoughtful commentary. I agree with you that science will always be associated with some amount of hierarchy, but I still believe that the current system is excessively hierarchical. I've seen a lot of great scientists get weeded out of the profession, which leads me to believe that a flatter system would be more innovative.<br /><br />Ichiro.Ichirohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00285775254876587633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5588126970544264673.post-34901968083243315892009-06-02T08:46:55.143-04:002009-06-02T08:46:55.143-04:00Hi,
We have just added your latest post "Thoughts...Hi,<br /><br />We have just added your latest post "Thoughts Arise: Is" to our <A HREF="http://www.scienz.info" REL="nofollow"> Directory of Science </A> . You can check the inclusion of the post <A HREF="http://www.scienz.info/story.php?title=thoughts-arise-is" REL="nofollow"> here </A> . We are delighted to invite you to submit all your future posts to the <A HREF="http://www.scienz.info" REL="nofollow">directory</A> and get a huge base of visitors to your website.<br /><br /><br />Warm Regards<br /><br />Scienz.info Team<br /><br />http://www.scienz.infoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com