tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post2273663689876915850..comments2024-03-25T02:33:41.590-05:00Comments on FemaleScienceProfessor: Fishing ExpeditionFemale Science Professorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-80835592926196288102007-10-28T11:01:00.000-05:002007-10-28T11:01:00.000-05:00Goddess bless you. Every time I see a female chil...Goddess bless you. Every time I see a female child I hope she grows up to be a scientist. Scientists are my heros but science needs a lot more input from humanities better half.<BR/><BR/>BrotherBone<BR/>The Crypt of Dead AtheistsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-42820360291803981442007-10-20T15:16:00.000-05:002007-10-20T15:16:00.000-05:00You've hit the nail on the head--the thing that dr...You've hit the nail on the head--the thing that drives me most crazy about grant writing is that you basically have to have done the experiments to show that they'll work as "preliminary data", and what the grant is *really* funding is whatever comes after what's in the proposal.Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09397122617482008646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-34886293969170093562007-10-19T22:19:00.000-05:002007-10-19T22:19:00.000-05:00how about zorbing for research that appears imprev...how about zorbing for research that appears imprevious to the findings of other research groups, or reality. Research "in a bubble", so to speak.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-58104916129031925562007-10-19T12:08:00.000-05:002007-10-19T12:08:00.000-05:00Thanks, ecogeofemme.Thanks, ecogeofemme.ScienceWomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11252480538852802610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-35486761871265898622007-10-19T08:25:00.000-05:002007-10-19T08:25:00.000-05:00For ScienceWoman:Zorb = rolling down a hill in a g...For ScienceWoman:<BR/>Zorb = rolling down a hill in a giant clear beach ball partially filled with warm water. So maybe as a science insult it could mean that you are barrelling aimlessly down an ill defined research path, but feeling very relaxed about it.EcoGeoFemmehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11236907917990309659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-45527321835823702482007-10-19T07:32:00.000-05:002007-10-19T07:32:00.000-05:00A while ago heard somebody talk about the differen...A while ago heard somebody talk about the difference of science and engineering in an information-theoretic perspective. In that view, engineering consists of creating something with minimal risk of a failure. I.e. the endeavour must be predictable and thus plannable. In information theory you would say: It must have a low entropy.<BR/>In science, in contrast, the aim is to maximize information. How much information do you gain if the outcome of a trial is known in advance? Nothing. Small entropy. Thus, a fishing expedition is not an accurate term, as it doesn't capture the huge gain in information if something's "caught" (fish are all the same). As a scientist, one ought to seek to answer the question where the outcome is unknown. Although this should not lead to dilletantic design of experiments. Better like Edison, one bit at a time.Clemenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16609704556518692476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-79670325260176818372007-10-19T00:23:00.000-05:002007-10-19T00:23:00.000-05:00Carbonized bamboo? Has that ever been found to be ...Carbonized bamboo? Has that ever been found to be good for anything?<BR/><BR/>Edisonizing sounds an awful lot like "plug and chug" to me. Not terribly scientific when described as randomly casting about, although making minor adjustments based on, I don't know, logical hypotheses about what characteristics you need-? That starts to sound a little more like science. <BR/><BR/>Anyway I think the 'fishing expedition' analogy makes more sense in light of climate change and ecology. Nowadays, you never know when you're going to find yourself in a pond that has no fish in it whatsoever. The key thing about this criticism is that if you have no candidates, no positive controls for your assay, and no alternative plans, you might be up a creek without a paddle.Ms.PhDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11050354864577547294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-58515483026256373592007-10-18T18:00:00.000-05:002007-10-18T18:00:00.000-05:00I have heard the term "Edisonian research" at a re...I have heard the term "Edisonian research" at a recent small conference. "Edisonian" was used to describe the approach of trying many slight variations of researh experimentation to solve a problem, without really learning anything fundamental from the outcome of each experiment other than "it didn't work". Years ago I heard a paraphrased quote of Edison saying that he invented 50 ways not-to-make a light bulb before he invented the right way. I believe it refers to the many different materials that were tried as filaments, starting from carbonized bamboo and ending up with tungsten.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09528101768117905237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-35922213359783130872007-10-18T17:29:00.000-05:002007-10-18T17:29:00.000-05:00"island hopping" for a proposal that touches on se..."island hopping" for a proposal that touches on several seemingly disconnected phenomena without presenting an overarching theme.<BR/><BR/>I think I like, "I got pwned!" for scooped.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-19468527108522855932007-10-18T14:45:00.000-05:002007-10-18T14:45:00.000-05:00"Channel surfing" for someone hops from one resear..."Channel surfing" for someone hops from one research topic to the next in hopes of finding something "hot" and fundable?<BR/><BR/>And I have no idea what zorbing means.ScienceWomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11252480538852802610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-85375820768706277302007-10-18T14:12:00.000-05:002007-10-18T14:12:00.000-05:00I work at a national laboratory and the favorite p...I work at a national laboratory and the favorite pejorative of the production side of the house involves a metaphor about PhDs and their 'sand boxes.' I like to flip it around and accuse production of being the cat that keeps trying to turn my sand box into a litter box.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-65675925948960481432007-10-18T12:21:00.000-05:002007-10-18T12:21:00.000-05:00I have zorbed! I'm not sure exactly what that wou...I have zorbed! I'm not sure exactly what that would mean in science proposal terms, but I am sure it would be caustic. I might try slipping that in a converstion: "Sounds like a zorb to me. That won't get funded." or, "who funded this zorbish proposal?"<BR/><BR/>I understand why a "fishing expedition" may be not worth funding, but isn't the point of doing research that one does not know the outcome? If you knew, you wouldn't need to do the experiment.EcoGeoFemmehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11236907917990309659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-34891906234058412382007-10-18T11:50:00.000-05:002007-10-18T11:50:00.000-05:00I fully expect to hear of "zerg rushing" in 15 yea...I fully expect to hear of "zerg rushing" in 15 years as countless videogaming nerds turn into figures of authority. Mindless, repetitive research will probably be referred to as "grinding for papers." In fact, I might start a secret campaign to introduce that last term into parlance. We need ways of denigrating papers that are just overgrown methodology sections.<BR/><BR/>I can't wait for "he scooped me" to become "he ninja'd my work". (Yes, that is used as a verb and that is how it's used.)Vodalushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11843259950260319604noreply@blogger.com