Re:The Gutting of America's Medical Research
by biophysboy on Wednesday June 04, 2025 @12:47PM
(#44182714)
Who should judge scientific quality, if not individuals familiar with the methods used to generate the results? We are living the counterfactual right now, where political opportunists with axes to grind have replaced the pattern matchers you describe.
Re:The Gutting of America's Medical Research
by throwawaymaths on Wednesday June 04, 2025 @12:59PM
(#44182853)
nobody is saying this is not the least worst way to fund science in general. the point is that use of taxpayer money demands a higher level of accountability that this method cannot satisfy.
Re:The Gutting of America's Medical Research
by biophysboy on Wednesday June 04, 2025 @02:01PM
(#44183653)
The problem is that 1) accountability creates bureaucracy and 2) accountability currently means "aligns with a political ideology".
string theory.
Anyways, it's very naive to think that "panels of experts" is a sustainable way to judge scientific quality. Eventually, those panels start awarding grants more on the basis of "pattern matching" vs "good science" and then the grant awardees who have been cargo-culted in, start serving on panels.