Physicist Michael Nielsen has turned his attention from the quantum realm toward becoming an advocate for the?open science movement. The goal is to have scientists leverage the power of the internet to exchange information - and thus grow knowledge - at unprecedented rates. It's a movement that is gaining momentum, but there are still structural barriers to embracing this sort of approach. Nielsen suggests that these barriers consist of a cultural problem within science and solving it will require changing the values that scientists hold, so that they will see the sharing of data as a fundamental part of their work.
Nielsen presented some of these ideas in a talk at TEDxWaterloo in March 2011, which has just become available on the TED website. I've added it to our list of physics-related TEDtalks.?These ideas are outlined in greater depth in his new book,?Reinventing Discovery: The New Era of Networked Science. (Presumably, at least. I haven't read it yet.) If you want a bite-sized version to read, check out his Wall Street Journal editorial, advocating that all publicly-funded science should be open.
What are your thoughts on the open science movement? What are the greatest barriers?
No comments:
Post a Comment