In this episode we reflect on the role of intelligence in scientist. How much does intelligence matter in science, and which other characteristics might play a role in doing good science? Do scientist need to be extremely intelligent or can anyone do science? And what is the role of stupidity in science? Capax Mentis roughly translates to "capacity of mind." Smriti stupidly messed up her audio so the quality isn't great. Apologies! Shownotes Schwartz, M. A. (2008). The importance of stupidity in...
Aug 13, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 14
As prologue to the next episode on how smart one needs to be to be a scientist, we present a reading of chapter 2 "How can I tell if I am cut out to be a scientific research worker?" by Peter B. Medawar from his 1979 book 'Advice to a young scientist'. Our next episode was inspired by the section "Am I brainy enough to be a scientist?" https://www.google.nl/books/edition/Advice_To_A_Young_Scientist/3fg3DgAAQBAJ...
Aug 04, 2023•15 min•Ep. 16
In this episode we discuss Daniel Dennett's distinction between chess, or research worth doing, and 'chmess,' research not worth doing. We discuss ways to determine whether our research is chess or chmess, and how to avoid being sucked into lines of research we don't particularly care about. Shownotes Dennett, D. C. (2006). Higher-order truths about chmess . Topoi, 25, 39–41. Dunnette, M. D. (1966). Fads, fashions, and folderol in psychology. American Psychologist, 21(4), 343. Folderol means 'a ...
Jul 28, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 13
As prologue to the next episode on Chmess, we present a reading of a paper by Daniel C. Dennett: Dennett, D. C. (2006). Higher-order truths about chmess . Topoi, 25, 39–41.
Jul 28, 2023•14 min•Ep. 15
In today's episode, we discuss vocational virtues⸺scientific principles that should guide the behavior of scientists. We discuss whether we agree with values put forth by numerous scientists, including Ivan Pavlov, Peter Medawar, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Barry Schwartz, among others, and share our own. Correction: At 56:24, Smriti mentions the book This is Biology, which is written by Ernst Mayr, not E.O. Wilson. Shownotes Pavlov, I. (1936). Bequest of Pavlov to the Academic Youth of His Country....
Jul 14, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 12
As prologue to the next episode on vocational virtues, we present a reading of a paper by Barry Schwartz: Schwartz, B. (2022). Science, scholarship, and intellectual virtues: A guide to what higher education should be like. Journal of Moral Education, 51(1), 61-72. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2020.1772211 (Published online: 19 Jun 2020) You can read the paper here . An episode from Smriti's previous podcast with Paul Connor where they discussed the paper with Barry can be found here ....
Jul 07, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 12
In this episode, we discuss the topic of research waste. We discuss what it is it that is being wasted and whether we waste fewer scientific resources and talent through coordination, team science, and better planning. Shownotes Bacon, New Atlantis, 1626: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2434/2434-h/2434-h.htm Dennett, D. C. (2006). Higher-order truths about chmess. Topoi, 25(1–2), 39–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11245-006-0005-2 Chalmers, I., & Glasziou, P. (2009). Avoidable waste in the pro...
Jun 30, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 11
In this bonus episode, Daniël reads Chapter 5 of John Desmond Bernal’s book The Social Function of Science, entitled The Efficiency of Scientific Research in preparation of our upcoming podcast episode on research waste. You can read The Social Function of Science by Bernal at the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.188098
Jun 23, 2023•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 10
Shownotes Wilson, E. B. (1923). The Statistical Significance of Experimental Data. Science, 58(1493), 93–100. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.58.1493.93 van Dongen, N. N. N., & van Grootel, L. (2021). Overview on the Null Hypothesis Significance Test. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/hwk4n Stark, P. B., & Saltelli, A. (2018). Cargo‐cult statistics and scientific crisis. Significance, 15(4), 40-43. Uygun Tunç, D., Tunç, M. N., & Lakens, D. (2023). The epistemic and pragmatic function o...
Jun 16, 2023•1 hr 23 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In this episode, we discuss the issue of publication bias. We discuss issues like: Do we learn anything from null results, given the current state of research practices? Is poorly done research still worth sharing with the scientific community? And how can we move toward a system where null results are informative and worth publishing? Shownotes Bones, A. K. (2012). We Knew the Future All Along Scientific Hypothesizing is Much More Accurate Than Other Forms of Precognition—A Satire in One Part. ...
Jun 02, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 9
In this episode, we discuss physicist Richard Feynman’s famous speech ‘Cargo Cult Science,’ which refers to work that has all the affectations of science without the actual application of the scientific method. We also discuss topics like: What is pathological science? How might cargo cult science and pathological be different from pseudo-science? How do we know whether or not we’re in a cargo cult, and what can we do to make sure we're not fooling ourselves? Shownotes Cargo Cult Science (Feynma...
May 19, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In this bonus episode, we present a reading of the famous speech by physicist Richard Feynman on "science that isn't science," Cargo Cult Science , which will be the topic of the next episode. Enjoy.
May 12, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In this episode we discuss regulatory bodies their influence on the generation and dissemination of knowledge. Should regulatory bodies have the authority to affect the topics and methods of science? Is more highly regulated research actually better? And should we just give up on our own lines of research and become potato researchers? Shownotes Kitcher, P. (2001). Science, truth, and democracy. Oxford University Press. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Central Potato Research Insti...
May 05, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 7
In this episode, we discuss the importance of consensus in science, both as means of establishing true knowledge and for determining which research questions might be worth pursuing. We also discuss barriers to reaching consensus and the different frameworks that are currently employed for trying to reach consensus among important stakeholders. Shownotes The Popper quote is from: Popper, K. R. (1959). The logic of scientific discovery. Routledge. The Polanyi quote is from: Polanyi, M. (1950). Fr...
Apr 21, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 6
In this episode, we discuss the insatiable itch to publish, starting with a quote from 1927 by sociologist Clarence Case on the dictum “Publish or perish.” We discuss ways in which individual goals to publish conflict with the broader scientific goal of producing useful knowledge. We also question the assumptions behind the notion that publishing less would be beneficial for science. Shownotes Case, C. M. (1927). Scholarship in sociology. Sociology and Social Research, 12, 323-340 ( Publish or p...
Apr 07, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 5
In this episode, we discuss the role of eminence in science. What ask questions like: What makes scientists eminent? What role does eminence play in science? Can eminence be spread across scientific teams instead of individuals? And how can we recognize and applaud scientists for their contributions, while avoiding conferring too many benefits on scientists who do become eminent? Shownotes Eminent psychologists of the 20th century Intel - Our rock stars aren't like your rock stars...
Mar 24, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 4
In our third episode, we discuss confirmation bias, which affects not only how scientists generate and test their own hypotheses, but also how they evaluate the scientific evidence presented by others. We discuss guardrails against confirmation bias that are already in place, and others that could potentially improve scientific practice if adopted. Shownotes Wason, P. C. (1960). On the failure to eliminate hypotheses in a conceptual task. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 12(3), 129-...
Mar 10, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 3
In our second episode, we discuss the role of skepticism in science, a topic that relates closely to the title of our podcast. Given that the scientific enterprise is essentially an exercise in organized skepticism, how can we maintain a healthy amount of skepticism while also ensuring that scientists don't slip into cynicism or nihilism? Shownotes Opening quote by Imre Lakatos from Science and Pseudoscience. Hear it from the man himself. Ego depletion Ioannidis, J. P. (2005). Why most published...
Mar 03, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In our first episode, we discuss a quote from the preface to The Instauratio Magna (of which Novum Organum is a part), in which Bacon claims that scientists should be motivated to do science for the betterment of mankind, and not for personal motives like fame, fortune, or even fun. Here is the tweet (by Heidi Seibold) on academia not being aligned with good scientific practices. An unedited transcript of the episode can be found here ....
Feb 24, 2023•56 min•Season 1Ep. 1
In this introductory episode, Daniël and Smriti share which podcasts they like, why they are starting their own, and how their connection to each other is also tied to podcasting. They also talk about the theme of the podcast, which is inspired by Francis Bacon’s delineation of the scientific method 400 years ago.
Feb 19, 2023•15 min
