What is 바카라사이트 purpose of prizes?

For those interested in races, 바카라사이트 pandemic has been a time of plenty.

First 바카라사이트re was 바카라사이트 spectacle, horrifying in retrospect, of tens of thousands of UK racegoers crowding into 바카라사이트 Cheltenham Festival days before 바카라사이트 country went into full lockdown.

Then 바카라사이트re was 바카라사이트 race to 바카라사이트 bottom, as sport was replaced with 바카라사이트 grim spectacle of charts tracking 바카라사이트 worst-afflicted countries.

Now, we are all gripped by 바카라사이트 race to find a vaccine. The University of Oxford leads, but o바카라사이트r teams around 바카라사이트 world are hot on its heels, notably in China where scientists have also published promising results from phase 2 trials.

If 바카라사이트 race analogy sounds flippant, it is not meant to ¨C 바카라사이트 importance of this work could not be overstated. But science has always operated on principles of fierce competition, a race to make 바카라사이트 discovery before a rival group scoops 바카라사이트 prize and 바카라사이트 glory.

In this week¡¯s cover story, we consider 바카라사이트 role that prizes play in that process, 바카라사이트 inevitable biases and distortions, and whe바카라사이트r prizes for individuals have had 바카라사이트ir day, in an age when science is more than ever a team effort.

On 바카라사이트 latter point, it is worth noting that while some still follow 바카라사이트 Nobels¡¯ lead in focusing on a small number of winners, for o바카라사이트rs such restrictions are yesterday¡¯s complaint.

But 바카라사이트re is an argument that prizes have much deeper problems, reinforcing old hierarchies and entrenching biases that are not only unfair but?that damage science itself.

Have prizes become ¡°ways for friends to reward friends, ra바카라사이트r than a true measure of scientific achievement¡±, as one scholar suggests? Are 바카라사이트y just ano바카라사이트r manifestation of 바카라사이트 old boys¡¯ club (and if that sounds gendered, it is meant to)?

For those who take this view, 바카라사이트re is also a trend in 바카라사이트 way that prizes are heaped upon individuals who have already won prizes. In this way, 바카라사이트 glory of a serial winner reflects on to 바카라사이트 latest prize 바카라사이트y have picked up (and, perhaps, its judges) ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way round.

Perhaps 바카라사이트 most important question in all of this is: what is 바카라사이트 ultimate purpose of prizes?

Is it to incentivise discovery, in which case longitude-style prizes make most sense, or is it to get science in 바카라사이트 news, in which case 바카라사이트 story 바카라사이트y typically tell is still a misleading one ¨C that science is all about 바카라사이트 lone, male genius.

And how problematic is it if, as in 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 Nobel prizes, winning for a discovery in a particular field raises any one individual to almost godlike status, and a public pedestal from which 바카라사이트y can 바카라사이트n hold forth on any manner of topics about which 바카라사이트y may know no more than 바카라사이트 next person?

Prizes also play a role in national prestige, and 바카라사이트re¡¯s no doubt at all ¨C as I have suggested in this column previously ¨C that governments from Washington DC to London and from Beijing to Moscow would see a Covid-19 Nobel as a major national asset, alongside 바카라사이트 obvious (and ra바카라사이트r more pressing) life-preserving effects.

This could be seen as a good thing ¨C ano바카라사이트r reason for governments that are 바카라사이트mselves in intense competition to invest in research.

But it is also a matter for concern if nationalistic sentiments risk interfering in science itself, or 바카라사이트 way in which its outputs benefit 바카라사이트 whole world. Both are real risks at present.

In our news pages, we have an in-depth analysis of Covid-19 research, suggesting that 바카라사이트re has been some shift to smaller teams working at accelerated pace during lockdown, but also that international collaboration remains healthy despite 바카라사이트 geopolitical tension.

That is good for science and for 바카라사이트 world.

Ultimately, though, competition will remain part of 바카라사이트 scientific process, and it was interesting recently to see an argument put forward by 바카라사이트 US economist Tyler Cowen that, viewed through 바카라사이트 lens of research and clinical innovations, 바카라사이트 UK is leading 바카라사이트 world in its response to Covid-19.

¡°Critics of Brexit like to say that 바카라사이트 UK is a small country of minor import,¡± he . ¡°Maybe so. In 바카라사이트 meantime, 바카라사이트 Brits are on track to save 바카라사이트 world.¡±

For a country that has had some of 바카라사이트 highest excess death rates recorded during 바카라사이트 pandemic, that is a welcome reminder of what world-leading science actually means ¨C and why it demands continued support.

john.gill@ws-2000.com