Monthly Archives: August 2012

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

Posted in Accountability, Broader Impacts, Economics & STEM Research, Future of the University, institutionalizing interdisciplinarity, STEM Policy, Transformative Research | Tagged | Leave a comment

Times Higher Education – Research Intelligence – Alt-metrics: fairer, faster impact data?

“The idea that Twitter will substitute for reading a paper is just ludicrous beyond words. Can you imagine the buzz around Peter Higgs’ 1964 papers, or any other serious bit of basic research? If [alt-metrics] were taken seriously for selection … Continue reading

Posted in Metrics, STEM Policy | Leave a comment

We love to call new technologies “creepy.” – Slate Magazine

Evan Selinger with another article in Slate: Facial recognition software, targeted advertising: We love to call new technologies “creepy.” – Slate Magazine. The warning: don’t let “creepy” become crutch for not thinking things through. In other words, think before you … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, TechnoScience & Technoscientism | Leave a comment

Sometimes science must give way to religion : Nature News & Comment

CSID Senior Fellow Dan Sarewitz has another piece out in Nature that’s sure to cause a stir: Sometimes science must give way to religion : Nature News & Comment. Here’s The New York Times: “The Higgs boson is the only … Continue reading

Posted in TechnoScience & Technoscientism | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Coming Next – Doctors Prescribing Apps to Patients – NYTimes.com

Simple apps that track users’ personal fitness goals have already gained wide traction. Now medical professionals and entrepreneurs want to use similar approaches to dealing with chronic ailments like diabetes or heart disease. via Coming Next – Doctors Prescribing Apps … Continue reading

Posted in Basic News, Economics & STEM Research, Science and technology ramifications, TechnoScience & Technoscientism | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

How generous is the UK science budget, really? guardian.co.uk

Whatever you think about spending on sport, in times of austerity or otherwise, there is no denying that the strategy paid off – at least, if your yardstick for success is Olympic medals. The message couldn’t be more clear: if … Continue reading

Posted in Basic News, Broader Impacts, Economics & STEM Research, Globalization, Metrics, Philosophy & Politics, Public Philosophizing, Science and technology ramifications, TechnoScience & Technoscientism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Veil of Ignorance: How Americans view wealth & inequality – BBC News

When you taste wine and you know the label and you know the price, you are going to be influenced by that. And when you are tasting wine in a blind way, now you don’t have anything to base it … Continue reading

Posted in Basic News, Degrowth Economics, Philosophy & Politics, Public Philosophizing, Sustainability, Risk Management, & Long-Term Security | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Carl Elliott – How to be an Academic Failure: A Guide for Beginners

How to be an academic failure? Let me count the ways. You can become a disgruntled graduate student. You can become a burned-out administrator, perhaps an associate dean. You can become an aging, solitary hermit, isolated in your own department, … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Future of the University, Graduate Studies, Public Pedagogy, Public Philosophizing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Toward A More Inclusive Backchannel: An Unusual Call To Action » Cyborgology

As the 2012 meeting of the American Sociological Association (#ASA2012) kicks into gear, I want to use this post to start a conversation about a somewhat-contentious topic: academics’ use of Twitter, particularly at conferences. via Toward A More Inclusive Backchannel: … Continue reading

Posted in Open Access, Public Philosophizing, Science and technology ramifications | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Measuring Value: Societal Benefits of Research – WorldWise – The Chronicle of Higher Education

On the idea of measuring societal impacts of research, Ellen Hazelkorn suggests: As with any other change process, it is better to be in the tent helping to shape it, than outside looking it. Measuring Value: Societal Benefits of Research … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Future of the University, Metrics, Peer Review, STEM Policy | Leave a comment

BBC News – Living Pigments

Professor Pettigrew and his colleagues studied 80 of these Bradshaw rock artworks – named for the 19th-Century naturalist who first identified them – in 16 locations within Western Australia’s Kimberley region. They concentrated on two of the oldest known styles … Continue reading

Posted in Basic News | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Bernanke to Economists: More Philosophy, Please – Businessweek

Less economics and more philosophy… On Monday, Ben Bernanke wasn’t talking like a scientist. He was talking like a philosopher. “The ultimate purpose of economics, of course, is to understand and promote the enhancement of well-being,” he said. To a … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Basic News, Broader Impacts, Degrowth Economics, Economics & STEM Research, Occupy Wall Street, Philosophy & Politics, Public Philosophizing, Sustainability, Risk Management, & Long-Term Security | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The science of the future is… art?

Philosopher Santiago Zabala has a piece out today in Al Jazeera about the saving power of art. Globalization, he claims, has wrought an era where the aesthetic calling is not l’art pour l’art – art for art’s sake, or what … Continue reading

Posted in Future of the University, Interdisciplinarity, Open Access | Leave a comment

AAAS – Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research and Education: A Practical Guide

AAAS has just released a report. Haven’t read it, yet! AAAS – The World’s Largest General Scientific Society.

Posted in Interdisciplinarity | Tagged | Leave a comment

Whither Science Publishing? | The Scientist

Well worth reading. Whither Science Publishing? | The Scientist.

Posted in Accountability, Open Access, Peer Review | Leave a comment

Science funding: Duel to the death : Nature News & Comment

@ananyo with a very nice discussion of the ‘impact agenda’ and recent changes at EPSRC. Science funding: Duel to the death : Nature News & Comment.

Posted in Accountability, Broader Impacts, Peer Review | Tagged , | Leave a comment

George Orwell: What is Science?

An attitude or something that happens in a lab? George Orwell: What is Science?.

Posted in Basic News, Science and technology ramifications | Leave a comment