The elephant in the room we can’t ignore
If Donald Trump were to trigger a crisis in Western democracy, scientists would need to look at their part in its downfall, says Colin Macilwain.
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The future of computing
The era of predictable improvement in computer hardware is ending. What comes next?
Team up with industry
Combining commercial and academic incentives and resources can improve science, argues Aled Edwards.
An unhealthy obsession with p-values is ruining science
A new study shows that p-values have become more popular — and more meaningless — over time.
Collaboration with IBM Watson Supports the Value Add of Open Access | The Official PLOS Blog
Collaboration with IBM Watson Supports the Value Add of Open Access | The Official PLOS Blog
In this massively data rich world, the equilibrium between information and knowledge has increasingly shifted from knowledge toward information. Advanced text and data mining (TDM) is not yet ubiquitous and even if it were, not all content is structured enough to leverage TDM potential. In developing the supercomputer Watson with the ability to process, analyze and extract information from natural language such as PLOS article text, IBM is beginning to shift the equilibrium back to knowledge. Understanding Relationships PLOS and IBM Watson are collaborating to bring quality Open Access biomedical literature to healthcare entrepreneurs and innovators, and to do so in a way that provides full article content and context including PubMed citation information from the National Library of Medicine. The collaboration is “not just about PLOS or Open Access,” says PLOS Chief Technology Officer CJ Rayhill, “it’s about improved healthcare through immediate access to relevant clinical,
French woman aged 91 gets PhD after 30 years
Colette Bourlier, who awarded a high distinction for her thesis on immigrant workers, said it took so long because she ‘took breaks’.
Should academics be paid for peer review?
Should academics be paid for peer review?
As the number of papers needing review increases, journals are thinking of replacing a voluntary system with cash rewards
She Figures: Women and Science 2015
Under-representation of women in science greater in Switzerland than in Europe.
Plan for peer review based research funding opposed
A proposal for a more peer review based funding of Swedish research prepared by the Swedish Research Council has been rejected by a majority of Swedish universities.
The NHS is a much bigger challenge for DeepMind than Go
Training a computer to play Go is an impressive achievement, but AlphaGo may be a long way from being a useful product.
The Government seem more interested in our genes than our voices
Policymakers are moving forward with plans to turn our genetic information into potentially lucrative data. Drawing on recent Freedom of Information disclosures, Edward Hockings and Lewis Coyne ask whether we can trust our institutions with our genomes.
Fermat's Last Theorem proof secures mathematics' top prize for Sir Andrew Wiles
The solution to a 300-year-old mystery has landed Oxford University Professor Sir Andrew Wiles the top international prize for mathematics.
Handful of Biologists Went Rogue and Published Directly to Internet
It could be possible to publish quickly online without alienating oneself from the traditional journal system.
The FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship
The FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship
There is an urgent need to improve the infrastructure supporting the reuse of scholarly data. A diverse set of stakeholders—representing academia, industry, funding agencies, and scholarly publishers—have come together to design and jointly endorse a concise and measureable set of principles that we refer to as the FAIR Data Principles.
Saving Science from the Scientists, Part 2
Alok Jha examines the practices and cultures that can undermine the integrity of science.
Staying Afloat in the Rising Tide of Science
New York Times columnist and science writer Carl Zimmer discusses the challenges of effectively communicating with the public about science.
Credit where credit is due
When a commercial publisher re-uses images from your blog without permission or attribution.
Science and democracy: a peculiarly British disease?
Two recent programmes on BBC Radio 4 highlight a worrying anti-democratic bias in discussions of science and technology.
How a science search engine is visualizing the discovery process - Storybench
Scientists and journalists share similar skills and challenges in digital storytelling, especially when it comes to researching an unfamiliar field. Current tools for searching information from the academic world in particular can be difficult and time-consuming. PubMed and Google Scholar, for example, present searches linearly—a long list of things to sift through. And if you [...]
Mismeasurement and Mismanagement Are Impeding Scientific Research
The near-romantic spirit of adventure and exploration that inspired young scientists of my own and earlier generations has become tarnished.
What psychology’s crisis means for the future of science
The field is currently undergoing a painful period of introspection. It will emerge stronger than before.
Science vs. Science News: (Un)Warranted Distrust
Our reverence for science has led to a culture of "new findings" and sensationalistic headlines.
As Wearables in Workplace Spread, So Do Legal Concerns
As wearable devices in the workplace spread, so do the legal concerns. Companies can now use the devices to monitor their employees’ health and track their locations. How should such technology be used to avoid legal problems?
Sci-Hub: research piracy and the public good
The release of millions of journal papers online reflects impatience with an outdated publishing model, says John Willinsky
Should All Research Papers Be Free?
Drawing comparisons to Edward Snowden, a graduate student from Kazakhstan named Alexandra Elbakyan is believed to be hiding out in Russia after illegally leaking millions of documents.
Which degrees give the best financial return?
If you had a university degree back in 1972, you were likely to earn 20% more than those without one. Today, that number has soared to 70%. But not all degrees will give you the same retu...
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