Rand Wilcox, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Any field that collects and analyzes data relies on statistical techniques to make sense of it all. Modern, more accurate methods should supplant the old ways... but in many cases, they haven't yet.
What happens to their credibility when scientists take to the streets? February 2017 Stand Up for Science rally in Boston.
Adam Salsman
The research community tends to assume advocacy doesn't mix with objectivity. One study suggests there's room for scientists to make real-world recommendations without compromising their trusted status.
Not much science will get done without the money to fund people and equipment.
Michael Pereckas
What are research dollars actually spent on? Rather than looking at artifacts like publications and patents, a new initiative directly tracks the people and businesses that receive research funding.
There wouldn’t be statues acclaiming Darwin and his theory if it couldn’t stand up to decades of testing.
CGP Grey
In science, the word 'theory' has a very specific meaning that's easy for nonscientists to misunderstand or misconstrue. Here's what a theory must withstand to be accepted by the scientific community.
Bill Gates embraces Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg during an announcement of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to ‘cure, prevent or manage all disease’ by the end of the century.
Beck Diefenbach/Reuters
With federal support for on-campus R&D dwindling as a percentage of GDP, keeping basic research afloat is a challenge. Schools and researchers are left to try to fill in the funding gaps.
Some changes to visa rules could make travel easier for scientists.
Shutterstock
Scientists from the developing world perceive current visa rules as a major impediment to professional travel. They miss out on opportunities to collaborate globally.
One thing they seem to agree on: Not prioritizing science in their platforms.
Carlos Barria/Reuters
Neither major party has made science and engineering issues a big part of its platform. But research – and its funding – are crucial if the U.S. wants to maintain status as a global leader.
Experiment design affects the quality of the results.
IAEA Seibersdorf Historical Images
Embracing more rigorous scientific methods would mean getting science right more often than we currently do. But the way we value and reward scientists makes this a challenge.
Imagine where working together on open data can get us?
Puzzle pieces image via www.shutterstock.com.
This method of crowdsourcing science legwork is ready to expand into other disciplines – and maybe the amateurs themselves can start calling some of the shots.
Tiny fruit flies under a microscope are a powerful weapon for science.
Dr Martha Vicente-Crespo
Fruit flies aren't just a remarkable organism for research. They are also central to a project that aims to provide more at-home research opportunities for African scientists.
Virtually every researcher relies on computers to collect or analyze data. But when computers are opaque black boxes that manipulate data, it's impossible to replicate studies – a core value for science.
The compact fluorescent lamp was primarily developed by private companies such as General Electric, Philips and Osram rather than in publicly funded research institutions.
Marcus Williams/Flickr
Research institutions don't have a monopoly on innovation. In fact, most innovation comes out of business, and it's this sector that needs more attention in innovation policy.
Queensland’s Parliament building. The state had a strong history of supporting research and innovation under the Smart State banner.
Flickr/Neal Jennings
In a referendum on 9 February, the Swiss population voted against mass immigration. That outcome will have far-reaching consequences on the position of Switzerland in European research cooperation. As…
Jobs for the girls.
By Rhoda Baer, via Wikimedia Commons
You can be forgiven for assuming that gender is not an issue any more in higher education. There are more young women entering universities than ever before and they are graduating each year in their hundreds…
