tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post3941531200372314637..comments2023-09-27T07:44:19.769-04:00Comments on Sabine Hossenfelder: Backreaction: Change You Can Believe InSabine Hossenfelderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-74906407085568348892009-02-16T06:55:00.000-05:002009-02-16T06:55:00.000-05:00What Politics IsA little boy goes to his dad and a...<B>What Politics Is</B><BR/><BR/>A little boy goes to his dad and asks, "What is politics?" <BR/> Dad says, "Well son, let me try to explain it this way: I'm the breadwinner of the family, so let's call me capitalism. <BR/> Your Mom, she's the administrator of the money, so we'll call her the Government. We're here to take care of your needs, so we'll call you the people. The nanny, we'll Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-37480223021373251642009-02-02T12:52:00.000-05:002009-02-02T12:52:00.000-05:00Ni!Clear, objective, propositive.Despite the debat...Ni!<BR/><BR/>Clear, objective, propositive.<BR/><BR/>Despite the debate over the meaning of Obama's declarations, this is one of the best posts on the topic of the current academic system of incentives I've read =)<BR/><BR/>I don't live in the US, but certainly hope this message, which is now resounding for sometime in the global scientific community, finally gets through over there.<BR/><BR/>Al Scandarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10390996922169230562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-23056336957634583942009-02-01T16:52:00.000-05:002009-02-01T16:52:00.000-05:00Pessimism is part of a dualistic system. Duality d...Pessimism is part of a dualistic system. Duality distorts and distracts. Think Kelvin, yo.bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12243108422389386105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-41070290381500810312009-01-31T14:08:00.000-05:002009-01-31T14:08:00.000-05:00HI Richard,“Reading through your blog and associat...HI Richard,<BR/><BR/>“Reading through your blog and associated responses makes it pretty clear to me that unbiased science is a very difficult achievement. I can certainly understand your pessimism.”<BR/><BR/>First, it should be understood that I’m not a scientist; simply I have a keen interest in it, both as a method of discovery/understanding and also as a method of general assessment and Phil Warnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15671311338712852659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-27788883595732551312009-01-30T23:04:00.000-05:002009-01-30T23:04:00.000-05:00Hi Bee --Your analysis and comments are thoughtful...Hi Bee --<BR/><BR/>Your analysis and comments are thoughtful, as usual. But even with all the changes you'd like to see, academic research would still suffer the problem described so eloquently by David Goodstein fifteen years ago, namely exponential growth (new PhD's) pushing against finite resources (permanent jobs). Any improvement in the job situation only delays the problem by a finite Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-56867813666442931452009-01-30T07:32:00.000-05:002009-01-30T07:32:00.000-05:00Phil,Reading through your blog and associated resp...Phil,<BR/><BR/>Reading through your blog and associated responses makes it pretty clear to me that unbiased science is a very difficult achievement. I can certainly understand your pessimism. I also have a theory on where this bias originates from and why scientists are so tempted to fall away from their idealistic roots.<BR/><BR/>Science describes the characteristics of space, time and matter.Richard Steinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17482390750233938186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-83875724480340310242009-01-29T15:36:00.000-05:002009-01-29T15:36:00.000-05:00Alas Bee, it will always be measured in $USdollars...Alas Bee, it will always be <BR/>measured in $USdollars<BR/><BR/>how else is one to even start valuing science<BR/><BR/>Art for art's sake<BR/>Science for science's sake<BR/>and always<BR/>Money for god's sakeQUASAR9https://www.blogger.com/profile/00593390598251093182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-72236800918122017862009-01-29T14:52:00.000-05:002009-01-29T14:52:00.000-05:00Hi Tkk,I disagree somewhat with Prof Katz that "Th...Hi Tkk,<BR/><BR/><I>I disagree somewhat with Prof Katz that "The glut of scientists is entirely the consequence of funding policies." It is a complex problem of society value system having changed, shift of wealth creation centers from hard science to geeky tech, then to finance. Also, a lack of demand of hard science expertise compare to the supply, and lack of exciting and useful discoveries Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-38304845415071147112009-01-29T03:07:00.000-05:002009-01-29T03:07:00.000-05:00Phil:In time of crisis people will do what's neces...Phil:<BR/><BR/>In time of crisis people will do what's necessary to get themselves out of that crisis. That may range from extreme ingenuity to extreme stupidity. Much depends on leadership. <BR/><BR/>In the US Obama wants to bring science back to the forefront. Other countries may do same if leadership see reasonable payoff. I am not hopeful of UK from what they have done recently. I am more Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-52677980434139893082009-01-28T18:36:00.000-05:002009-01-28T18:36:00.000-05:00I refer the assembled multitudes to this item for ...I refer the assembled multitudes to this <A HREF="http://watch.thecomedynetwork.ca/the-colbert-report/full-episodes/january-26-2009/#clip133339" REL="nofollow">item </A>for further research. Start at about time index 06:15.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-54402934239268186612009-01-28T11:47:00.000-05:002009-01-28T11:47:00.000-05:00“We will restore science to its rightful place.” “...“We will restore science to its rightful place.” <BR/><BR/>“We will increase support for high-risk, high-payoff research portfolios at our science agencies.”<BR/><BR/>~Barack Obama<BR/><BR/><BR/>... Let's just see what he can...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-20756489746608466932009-01-28T09:02:00.000-05:002009-01-28T09:02:00.000-05:00Your description of today's state of official scie...Your description of today's state of official science is rarely exact, <I>jfromm</I>. You could even add “cheating and misleading reforms” to your list of its major products (“fakers, buzzword jugglers and cheaters, people who produce nothing but hot air and cloudy publications”). See <I>Grant</I>'s “questions” (which are in reality answers) above for details and a previous discussion of “black Andrei Kirilyukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15407274342959324969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-15221357072600804062009-01-28T06:58:00.000-05:002009-01-28T06:58:00.000-05:00I wish there would be a change towards more honest...I wish there would be a change towards more honesty and truth in science. If there is nothing to find out, then the academic systems tends to produce fakers, buzzword jugglers and cheaters as an unintended consequence, people who produce nothing but hot air and cloudy publications.<BR/><BR/>Although it is the job of a scientist to find out the truth, many scientists do exactly the opposite: they Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-36035531842635571882009-01-28T04:56:00.000-05:002009-01-28T04:56:00.000-05:00Hi Tkk,“But Bee, that era may be coming to an end....Hi Tkk,<BR/><BR/>“But Bee, that era may be coming to an end. Just look around the world facing fundamental problems of energy, environment, exhaustion of new discoveries to drive new industries.”<BR/><BR/>Are you suggesting that in our times of trouble people may turn to science for the answers. That might indeed be what they need to do, yet I fear it will be exactly the opposite. The trouble Phil Warnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15671311338712852659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-81223155096670035842009-01-27T23:06:00.000-05:002009-01-27T23:06:00.000-05:00Bee:"This is SO depressing!..."It pains me to post...Bee:<BR/>"This is SO depressing!..."<BR/><BR/>It pains me to post it. But one cannot run away from reality. I was tenured, then moved to industry, now retired. It breaks my heart to see so many younger scientists struggling. I am doing all I can to help and promote. <BR/><BR/>I disagree somewhat with Prof Katz that "The glut of scientists is entirely the consequence of funding policies." It is a Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-55217673785492893822009-01-27T19:28:00.000-05:002009-01-27T19:28:00.000-05:00Hi Grant,Thanks for your thoughtful comment. Most ...Hi Grant,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your thoughtful comment. Most of your points would have been addressed in my earlier posts, for example <A HREF="http://backreaction.blogspot.com/2008/07/we-have-only-ourselves-to-judge-on-each.html" REL="nofollow">this one</A>, but let me summarize the central argument.<BR/><BR/>You are repeatedly asking who does the evaluation, who has the power, who makes the Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-60679739740152339952009-01-27T18:53:00.000-05:002009-01-27T18:53:00.000-05:00Hi Tkk,This is SO depressing! I mean, he is exactl...Hi Tkk,<BR/><BR/>This is SO depressing! I mean, he is exactly summing up the major issues. And that thing is from 1999. Sounds quite similar to my writings doesn't it? Except that I can't start with saying "I'm a tenured professor of physics"...<BR/><BR/>Best,<BR/><BR/>B.Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-48678537579976926182009-01-27T18:42:00.000-05:002009-01-27T18:42:00.000-05:00Hi Pope,It's an interesting thought, but not such ...Hi Pope,<BR/><BR/>It's an interesting thought, but not such a good comparison. As I have argued in previous writings, the problem with the academic system is that people are trying to optimize secondary criteria (like eg the number of papers) instead of primary goals (knowledge discovery). <BR/><BR/><I>From this point of view, the situation is hopeless; fighting the system is like fighting Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-92230608422588678022009-01-27T18:28:00.000-05:002009-01-27T18:28:00.000-05:00Dear Arun,Well, as I tried to say in my post, it i...Dear Arun,<BR/><BR/>Well, as I tried to say in my post, it isn't only necessary to have public funding. It is also necessary to pay attention to how the money is used. Eg wou can spend the same money on a lot of short-term positions, or fewer long term positions - and that makes a difference. Best,<BR/><BR/>B.Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-24345833619452123262009-01-27T18:21:00.000-05:002009-01-27T18:21:00.000-05:00Hi Gordon,That's really scary. But you know what i...Hi Gordon,<BR/><BR/>That's really scary. But you know what is even more scary? That it doesn't mean anything except that we have kept track of a lot of numbers. Best,<BR/><BR/>B.Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-33581071414220801582009-01-27T05:42:00.000-05:002009-01-27T05:42:00.000-05:00Hi Bee,I think perhaps what’s overlooked in the s...Hi Bee,<BR/><BR/>I think perhaps what’s overlooked in the statement offered by Stewart Brand is that he’s saying also that more should consider that science is something for all to take notice and understand more. Not only would this have more understand better the world they live in, yet better understand its limits and potentials. What I find to be most important is what you have also Phil Warnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15671311338712852659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-62701750556196956842009-01-27T05:01:00.000-05:002009-01-27T05:01:00.000-05:00Hi Sabine,Interesting post, let me respond to your...Hi Sabine,<BR/><BR/>Interesting post, let me respond to your list point-by-point.<BR/><BR/>1. "To solve the problem, create decent middle-class-jobs for scientists. These don't have to be high-profile jobs, but they shouldn't be crappy short-term contracts either. People who chose academia aren't there because they want to become rich. They are there because they love science. Just give them a Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-26297716683938313832009-01-26T21:33:00.000-05:002009-01-26T21:33:00.000-05:00Don't become a scientist (from a physicist)http://...Don't become a scientist (from a physicist)<BR/><BR/>http://wuphys.wustl.edu/~katz/scientist.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-62590042882338790542009-01-26T21:10:00.000-05:002009-01-26T21:10:00.000-05:00Dear Bee,Restore science to its rightful place doe...Dear Bee,<BR/><BR/>Restore science to its rightful place does indeed have more than one dimension to it.<BR/><BR/>One is to base policy on science rather than to suppress and redact scientific reports that do not agree with the ruling ideology.<BR/><BR/>The second is public financial support for science. This is not just through immediate money in the budget, but also by improving science Arunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03451666670728177970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-43960511090605608862009-01-26T21:07:00.000-05:002009-01-26T21:07:00.000-05:00Dear Bee,Restore science to its rightful place doe...Dear Bee,<BR/><BR/>Restore science to its rightful place does indeed have more than one dimension to it.<BR/><BR/>One is to base policy on science rather than to suppress and redact scientific reports that do not agree with the ruling ideology.<BR/><BR/>The second is public financial support for science. This is not just through immediate money in the budget, but also by improving science Arunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03451666670728177970noreply@blogger.com