Big Problems Facing Science

Re:Big Problems Facing Science by hughw on Monday July 18, 2016 @04:58PM (#12118025)

I had hoped to read one of those occasional lists of the hard, outstanding problems scientists still need to solve, in biology, say, or physics. Instead, it's a list of meta "problems" like science funding, or poor study designs.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Big Problems Facing Science by whorleater on Monday July 18, 2016 @05:52PM (#12118267)

"Hard" problems can be eventually solved through tenacity, funding can't. Funnily enough, in my experience funding and proper experimental design is the hardest part of solving a problem.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Big Problems Facing Science by PeterWhittaker on Monday July 18, 2016 @05:43PM (#12118226)

I expected the "hard list" as well.

And got one, just not the one I expected.

There are multiple crises in science these days, whether of communication or recruitment or replication or of fraud or of anti-intellectualism fueled in part by the most egregious examples of these problems.

Fixing these problems, addressing these seven, would do much to restore the lustre and respect and authority science well done and scientists working well deserve.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Big Problems Facing Science by Strilanc on Monday July 18, 2016 @06:26PM (#12118389)

Wikipedia has a list for that: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_unsolved_problems

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Big Problems Facing Science by danieltillett on Monday July 18, 2016 @05:30PM (#12118157)

The only problem in science is funding. Everything else is an opportunity.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Big Problems Facing Science by veddox on Tuesday July 19, 2016 @09:38AM (#12121653)

If we had unlimited funding, most of the other problems would indeed take care of themselves. The problem is the "unlimited" part...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Big Problems Facing Science by danieltillett on Tuesday July 19, 2016 @05:32PM (#12125098)

The problem is not only the level of funding, but they way the funding is distributed. Science could live happily with the current expenditure if the way the funding was distributed was smarter.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Big Problems Facing Science by mac01021 on Monday July 18, 2016 @07:03PM (#12118508)

And funding is not?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Big Problems Facing Science by danieltillett on Tuesday July 19, 2016 @02:50AM (#12120235)

Well the general lack of funding and the way the limited funding is distributed is the ultimate cause of all the problems of science.

I guess solving the funding problem is an opportunity, but it seems to be beyond us.

[ Parent | on HN ]