Dispensed With A Matronly Air: Trust and AI
BBC Maestro has delivered a writing course taught by a speaking and moving on-screen image of Agatha Christie. Did the AI behind it succeed?
Iterative Development, User-centered Design, and the Fear of Getting it Wrong in Publishing
User-centered design provides a model for improving services, but is the history of print holding publishers back?
What (Not) to Do When Libraries Won’t Get on Board
Why aren’t libraries providing support for your open access or open science initiative? Be careful what you assume.
“Positively Disrupt(ing) Research Culture for the Better”: An Interview with Alexandra Freeman of Octopus
Octopus is a new sharing platform that hopes to disrupt research culture for the better. An interview with founder Dr. Alexandra Freeman.
The Essence of Science — Feynman Gets It In 63 Seconds
Science begins from a simple premise, then gets really complicated. It’s good to return to the basics, courtesy of this brief primer from the legendary Richard Feynman.
Making Mistakes in a Good Direction — The God Complex and Experiments
This fascinating TED talk will resonate on many levels with people who read this blog — study design, arrogance, vindication, creativity, inspiration, complexity, evolution, and authority are all dealt with. The topic is “the God complex” — the tendency for […]
The Mismeasure of Man, Funds, and Open Access Experiments
After one year, most COPE funds remain unspent. Is it time to revise the policy?
Creating an Incentive: Can Social Media Offer Enough Carrots to Entice Scientists?
Scientists seem uninterested in participating in social media offerings, as the rewards offered are generally of insufficient value to warrant the effort required. Instead of just hoping that scientists will suddenly see the value in your product, why not offer incentives for participation?