What defines good science?
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What defines good science? • Science must continually generate innovative new ideas and technologies. • We must therefore focus much more intensely on stimulating and rewarding innovation and risk taking .
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What defines good science?. Science must continually generate innovative new ideas and technologies. We must therefore focus much more intensely on stimulating and rewarding innovation and risk taking . How best to stimulate innovation? - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of What defines good science?
What defines good science?
• Science must continually generate innovative new ideas and technologies.
• We must therefore focus much more intensely on stimulating and rewarding innovation and risk taking.
How best to stimulate innovation?
In attempting to address this question, it is important to recognize how new knowledge arises
http://www.BeyondDiscovery.org
www.BeyondDiscovery.org
Timeline for Global Positioning System (GPS)
www.BeyondDiscovery.org
Timeline continued
RESULT
TIM
E
1985
1970
1960
1980
1950
Watson& Crick
Radioisotopesin biology
Barry &Alberts
etc. etc.
Epstein& Edgar
Woodet al
Delbrucket al
Marmur& Doty
Kornberget al
My fieldfrom 1950-1985
How do productive ideas in science arise?
A personal example
THE FUNDAMENTAL REASON FOR THE EXPLOSIVE GROWTH OF SCIENCE
100 units of knowledgecan be combined
in 100 times more waysthan can
10 units of knowledge
RESULTTI
ME
1985
1970
1960
1980
1950
Watson
& Cric
kRadioisotop
esin biology
Barry &
Alberts
etc.
etc.
Epstein
& Edga
r
Wood
et al
Delbruck
et al
Marmur
& Doty
Kornberg
et al
My fieldin 1950 - 1985
My fieldin 1985 - 2020
RESULT
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
Barry &Alberts
TIM
E
2020
1985
But there is a catch!
As knowledge grows, it becomes increasingly difficult to find the right
combinations
To create consists precisely in not making useless combinations and in making those which are useful and which are only a small minority. Invention is discernment, choice… Among chosen combinations the most fertile will often be those formed of elements drawn from domains which are far apart. … The true work of the inventor consists in choosing among these combinations so as to eliminate the useless ones.
Henri Poincaré1908
The source of creativity in science
decades
A problem: the channeling of research topics due to “training inertia”
Unexplored experimental
spaces
Overcrowded experimental
spaces
How then should research be organized to stimulate innovation?
• Here I will give you my personal view, based on my 40 years in universities.
Structuring institutions to maximize innovation
• In general, we should encourage our institutions to support a set of laboratories of modest size (9 to 12 people, maximum), each headed by an outstanding, innovative independent investigator.
• These laboratories should be clustered, embedded in a cooperative culture in which techniques and equipment are freely shared.
• Our reward systems must change to strongly encourage risk taking and originality.
• And everything must be done to encourage a random collision of people and ideas.
Where I am now: UCSF new Mission Bay Campus in San Francisco
Another part of my education at the Academy: recognition of the critical
importance of Science for all !
Lake Victoria, western Kenya, 1998
Pondicherry, India, 2000
Village “knowledge worker” using wireless internet
A “science franchise” that produces parasitic moths
