Category Archives: Transformative Research

Swarm and Fuzzy | Newsweek

When the first human colonists land on Mars several decades from now, their habitat will already be waiting. They may not even have to don a space suit, instead simply walking down the gangplank in their civvies into a warm, … Continue reading

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The History, Honor, and Travail of the Nobel

Mark Jackson takes a look at the prize against which most other prizes are measured and how sometimes, winning the great honor precedes the slowing down of an innovative research career. Via The Not-So Noble Past of the Nobel Prize http://theconversation.com/the-not-so-noble-past-of-the-nobel-prizes-18939

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56 Indicators of Impact

In 2011, several core members of the Center for the Study of Interdisciplinarity (CSID) at the University of North Texas held a meeting during which we imagined different ways to indicate the impact of our activities. We scribbled them on … Continue reading

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Not Safe for Funding: The N.S.F. and the Economics of Science : The New Yorker

Aside from the inherent interest of all things having to do with NSF merit review … what, that’s not just us CSID folks, is it? … anyway, there’s also some really interesting stuff about what motivates scientists in this article. … Continue reading

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Book Review: Humanity 2.0: What it Means to be Human Past, Present and Future | LSE Review of Books

Francis Remedios offers his review of Steve Fuller’s Humanity 2.0. Book Review: Humanity 2.0: What it Means to be Human Past, Present and Future | LSE Review of Books.

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Knowing and acting: The precautionary and proactionary principles in relation to policy making, J. Britt Holbrook and Adam Briggle « Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective

The Social Epistemology Review and Reply collective is now hosting preprints: Knowing and acting: The precautionary and proactionary principles in relation to policy making, J. Britt Holbrook and Adam Briggle « Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective. Yes! Adam and … Continue reading

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Does technological liberation have to come at a price?

A good read from Evgeny Morozov at the WSJ: Are Smart Gadgets Making Us Dumb? Once we step into this magic space, we are surrounded by video cameras that recognize whatever ingredients we hold in our hands. Tiny countertop robots inform … Continue reading

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Is NSF’s ‘Product’ Category a Finished Product? – Science Careers

Science Careers weighs in on NSF’s recent changes to the Grant Proposal Guide: Is NSF’s ‘Product’ Category a Finished Product? – Science Careers – Biotech, Pharmaceutical, Faculty, Postdoc jobs on Science Careers. Interesting take on what counts as a ‘product’ … Continue reading

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The Mind of the Innovator: Radio Specials | KQED Public Media for Northern CA

NSF’s public radio doc “Mind of the Innovator” airs on KQED in San Francisco… Innovators begin with real-world problems and find solutions through technology, imagination, hard work and a drive to make our lives better. This special program from Richard … Continue reading

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Innovation Is About Arguing, Not Brainstorming. Here’s How To Argue Productively | Co.Design: business + innovation + design

Turns out that brainstorming–that go-to approach to generating new ideas since the 1940s–isn’t the golden ticket to innovation after all. Both Jonah Lehrer, in a recent article in The New Yorker, and Susan Cain, in her new book Quiet, have asserted as much. … Continue reading

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Interdisciplines : CASE STUDY: INCREMENTAL UPGRADING OF ENKANINI – THE ISHACK INITIATIVE

If you click on one link today, I recommend this one: Interdisciplines : CASE STUDY: INCREMENTAL UPGRADING OF ENKANINI – THE ISHACK INITIATIVE.   Dear Colleagues: INIT, the International Network of Interdisciplinarity and Transdisciplinarity, is continuing to host a virtual … Continue reading

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Papers initially rejected but eventually published cited more — but why?

James Evans, a participant in our NSF workshop on transformative research, has some interesting comments in this article. The Benefits of Rejection – The Scientist Magazine®. The article itself discusses a study of papers that are published after having been … Continue reading

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Twitter, peer review and altmetrics: the future of research impact assessment | Higher Education Network | Guardian Professional

Scroll down to the comments below the article for discussion. Twitter, peer review and altmetrics: the future of research impact assessment | Higher Education Network | Guardian Professional.

Posted in Accountability, Broader Impacts, Future of the University, Libraries, Metrics, Open Access, Peer Review, Science and technology ramifications, STEM Policy, Transformative Research | Leave a comment

Periodic Fractal of the Elements

 

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First Golden Goose Awards Honor Ideas That Hatched Unexpectedly – ScienceInsider

First Golden Goose Awards Honor Ideas That Hatched Unexpectedly – ScienceInsider. Funny counterpoint to the Golden Fleece Awards, which highlight purported wastes of taxpayer money. But there’s a serious message here that ought to be treated seriously: we can’t know … Continue reading

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Scientists Offer New Formula to Predict Career Success – Percolator – The Chronicle of Higher Education

Scientists Offer New Formula to Predict Career Success – Percolator – The Chronicle of Higher Education. I’m posting this now without further comment. I hope to find time to think this through soon! In the meantime, regular readers of the … Continue reading

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RCUK: Benefits of Engagement for Researchers

RCUKBenefitsofPE.pdf application/pdf Object. * Skills development * Career enhancement * Enhancing your research quality and its impact * New research perspectives * Higher personal and institutional profile * Influence and networking opportunities * Forming new collaborations and partnerships * Enjoyment … Continue reading

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Physicists Find Elusive Particle Seen as Key to Universe – NYTimes.com

This is fascinating from the viewpoint of philosophy of science — not the discovery itself, but what it may mean for physics. Physicists Find Elusive Particle Seen as Key to Universe – NYTimes.com. What we seem to have here is … Continue reading

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Mulling on Mull | Rebecca Willis | Independent Researcher & Vice-Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission

Rebecca Willis introduces us to the notion of “outdoor philosophy,” as championed by Kate Rawles. Mulling on Mull | Rebecca Willis | Independent Researcher & Vice-Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission.

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Mozilla and the National Science Foundation launch open innovation challenge | The Mozilla Blog

Wow! Interesting: Mozilla and the National Science Foundation launch open innovation challenge | The Mozilla Blog.

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From academic solos to industrial symphonies

Leaping from academia to industry can be vexing, confusing and, to be frank, sometimes irritating. It is not easy to be trained all your life by trusted professors only to be told that some of this training needs to be … Continue reading

Posted in Economics & STEM Research, Globalization, Public Pedagogy, Public Philosophizing, Science and technology ramifications, STEM Policy, TechnoScience & Technoscientism, Transformative Research | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Science funding review – Telegraph

  Nobel laureates demand a review of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s funding process. As Nobel laureates, we are all dedicated to scientific enquiry and know that unexpected observations and discoveries have had far-reaching benefits to industry and … Continue reading

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The Promise and Perils of Transformative Research | Science of Science Policy

The report from out TR Workshop is now hot off the presses! The Promise and Perils of Transformative Research | Science of Science Policy.   Executive Summary In March of 2012, researchers from a range of fields met at the … Continue reading

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George P. Mitchell, fracking, and scientific innovation. – Slate Magazine

CSID Fellow Adam Briggle argues that it’s time to frack the innovation system. We need to frack the innovation system—create fissures to let in more people and more perspectives. Researchers must obtain the informed consent of individuals participating in trials … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, CSID Publications, Environmental policy, Gas Fracking, Sustainability, Risk Management, & Long-Term Security, Transformative Research | 1 Comment

Transformative Research: Reflections on NSF Workshop — CCC Blog

Mike Gorman weighs in on Transformative Research. CCC Blog.

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