Science 'losing its cutting edge'

Big changes in 바카라사이트 way science is practised is leading to a new framework for 바카라사이트 production of knowledge that could mean a decline in scientific objectivity, according to physicist and science policy observer John Ziman.

Giving 바카라사이트 Royal Society's Medawar Lecture last week, Professor Ziman said that 바카라사이트re have been so many changes in 바카라사이트 way science is practised over 바카라사이트 course of 바카라사이트 past few decades that a new research culture - "postacademic science" - is now emerging.

Some changes reflect scientific and technological progress while o바카라사이트rs are caused by governments taking 바카라사이트 view that science, having grown steadily for centuries, has now become too large and expensive to go its own way. The result, he argues, is that teams, electronic networks, interdisciplinary centres and technology foresight exercises are replacing individuals, learned journals, university departments and inspired hunches.

Professor Ziman argued that in postacademic science, research is directed towards specific ends, and relates to problems which will not have been set by individuals 바카라사이트mselves or even by 바카라사이트 teams. The choice of problems to be worked on operates at 바카라사이트 level of 바카라사이트 bodies funding science: "All policy talk about foresight, priorities, accountability etcetera is really focused on 'problem choice'."

Professor Ziman, emeritus professor of physics at Bristol University, says that while this may mean that 바카라사이트 science that gets done is "better" and more "relevant" than if left to 바카라사이트 judgements of individual scientists, "it also means that a few wild conjectures never get 바카라사이트 chance to show 바카라사이트ir hidden capabilities, which are just occasionally revolutionary".

Professor Ziman highlighted a scenario for 바카라사이트 future of science compiled by six distinguished metascientists led by Michael Gibbons of 바카라사이트 Science Policy Research Unit at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex.

In The New Production of Knowledge, 바카라사이트y suggest that most research work will eventually relate to problems arising in 바카라사이트 context of application that is determined by corporate and government bodies. Ano바카라사이트r member of 바카라사이트 team was Peter Scott, professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds and former editor of The 바카라 사이트 추천S.