Cutting NSF Is Like Liquidating Your Finest Investment
Look closely at your mobile phone or tablet. Touch-screen technology, speech recognition, digital sound recording and the internet were all developed using […]
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, Consider Research Ethics
Imagine an ethics review system where the researcher’s proposal is read by an ‘ethics jury’ of four to six researchers drawn, as in legal juries, from the academic population at large, suggests Australia’s Gigi Foster.
Treating Science as Politics Does No One Any Favors
Although the GOP is usually fingered as anti-science, biased attitudes toward scientific information and trust in the scientific community can be found among liberals and conservatives alike, new research shows. As you might expect, biases vary based on the science topic being considered.
Young Scholars Fear for the University of Their Future
Universities are at a crossroads. Pushed by governments who want institutions to dominate in the competitive, globalized world of higher education, they are also struggling with questions about academic freedom in the face of the pressures of marketization. Here a group of young PhD students argue for more debate about the kind of places universities are becoming.
Is It Time to Say Goodbye to a Fickle Friend, the P Value?
After one psychology journal banned the use of P values outright, and new research suggests P value may not be as reliable as hoped, might it it time to show an old friend the door?
Science Communication in the Age of Polarization
A study of members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science finds their politically homogeneous environment on and off the job seems to play a primary role in how they form judgments about policy issues and whether, or how, they choose to engage the public.
Taking a Stick to Ethics Boards
Writing about her experiences in Australia, Gigi Foster wonders if ethics boards are more interested in ticking the necessary boxes and not upholding the standards that supposedly underlie the boards’ existence.
Picking a Descriptor Also Picks a Gender
A recent data-mapping project reveals that women professors are consistently more likely to be described as feisty, bossy, aggressive, shrill, condescending, rude — and nice.
So You Wanna Be a YouTube Star? Here’s Some Tips
Have you thought about trying public outreach with your research by starring in or making videos for online viewership? Here’s some handy tips on presenting your social science Gangnam style.
