Neuroscience
...or should I say braindoggle...
I've been reading The Future of the Brain, a collection of Essays by the World's Leading Neuroscientists edited by Gary Marcus and Jeremy Freeman. Amidst the chapters on jaw-dropping technical developments, Big Factory Science, and Grand Neuroscience Initiatives, one stood out for its contrarian stance (and personally reflective tone). Here's Professor Leah Krubitzer, who heads the Laboratory of Evolutionary Biology at University of California, Davis:
...although it should be said that a bunch of scientists did at least contribute to the final direction taken by the BRAIN Initiative (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative NeurotechnologiesSM)...
Top image: vintage spoof Monopoly game issued during the 1936 US presidential campaign.
- Upcoming Event: Allen Institute (04-05 Oct 2011, Seattle)
ALLEN INSTITUTE FOR BRAIN SCIENCE 2011 Annual Symposium: Open Questions in Neuroscience October 4-5, 2011 Seattle, WA "The second annual symposium, Open Questions in Neuroscience, offers a thought-provoking program that addresses key areas...
- Promoting Science
I've just run across three cool ideas for promoting science: BoraZ reteweets an interesting story from science writer Mary Spiro: Rock Stars of Science: Will it hype scientific celebrity and increase research funding? In this Baltimore Science...
- Science Political
Heard a good interview on last week's ScienceFriday about science & the presidential elections. In The Call for A Science Debate, Ira talks to Shawn Lawrence Otto, the organizer of Science Debate 2008 about Otto's effort to generate a presidential...
- The War In Science In The War
A billboard at Oak Ridge Facility in Tennessee warns people to keep silent about anything they see or hear there. Oak Ridge was a town built in 1942 to house workers and the laboratory that developed the Manhattan Project – the secret second world war...
- Unplug And Recharge - My Poster Presentation And What I've Learned Form My Internship
I've officially finished my research internship at the Boyce Thompson Institute. After several stressful nights of analyzing my data, putting it into a readable form, and drawing conclusions, I whipped together a poster that shows my results. From...
Neuroscience
Against Initiatives: "don't be taken in by the boondoggle"
...or should I say braindoggle...
I've been reading The Future of the Brain, a collection of Essays by the World's Leading Neuroscientists edited by Gary Marcus and Jeremy Freeman. Amidst the chapters on jaw-dropping technical developments, Big Factory Science, and Grand Neuroscience Initiatives, one stood out for its contrarian stance (and personally reflective tone). Here's Professor Leah Krubitzer, who heads the Laboratory of Evolutionary Biology at University of California, Davis:
“From a personal rather than scientific standpoint, the final important thing I've learned is don't be taken in by the boondoggle, don't get caught up in technology, and be very suspicious of "initiatives." Science should be driven by questions that are generated by inquiry and in-depth analysis rather than top-down initiatives that dictate scientific directions. I have also learned to be suspicious of labels declaring this the "decade of" anything: The brain, The mind, Consciousness. There should be no time limit on discovery. Does anyone really believe we will solve these complex, nonlinear phenomena in ten years or even one hundred? Tightly bound temporal mandates can undermine the important, incremental, and seemingly small discoveries scientists make every day doing critical, basic, nonmandated research. These basic scientific discoveries have always been the foundation for clinical translation. By all means funding big questions and developing innovative techniques is worthwhile, but scientists and the science should dictate the process.”
...although it should be said that a bunch of scientists did at least contribute to the final direction taken by the BRAIN Initiative (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative NeurotechnologiesSM)...
from SLANG in the Great Depression
An AS @ UVA Project
by Meagan Hess
May 2004
by Meagan Hess
May 2004
Top image: vintage spoof Monopoly game issued during the 1936 US presidential campaign.
- Upcoming Event: Allen Institute (04-05 Oct 2011, Seattle)
ALLEN INSTITUTE FOR BRAIN SCIENCE 2011 Annual Symposium: Open Questions in Neuroscience October 4-5, 2011 Seattle, WA "The second annual symposium, Open Questions in Neuroscience, offers a thought-provoking program that addresses key areas...
- Promoting Science
I've just run across three cool ideas for promoting science: BoraZ reteweets an interesting story from science writer Mary Spiro: Rock Stars of Science: Will it hype scientific celebrity and increase research funding? In this Baltimore Science...
- Science Political
Heard a good interview on last week's ScienceFriday about science & the presidential elections. In The Call for A Science Debate, Ira talks to Shawn Lawrence Otto, the organizer of Science Debate 2008 about Otto's effort to generate a presidential...
- The War In Science In The War
A billboard at Oak Ridge Facility in Tennessee warns people to keep silent about anything they see or hear there. Oak Ridge was a town built in 1942 to house workers and the laboratory that developed the Manhattan Project – the secret second world war...
- Unplug And Recharge - My Poster Presentation And What I've Learned Form My Internship
I've officially finished my research internship at the Boyce Thompson Institute. After several stressful nights of analyzing my data, putting it into a readable form, and drawing conclusions, I whipped together a poster that shows my results. From...