May 20 Notes: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 21:09, 29 May 2008

Changing the Paradigm

Current shortcomings of biological science as a whole

- What are the most persuasive types of argument in biology?
  - 1) controlled experiments
  - 2) randomized controlled trials
    - associative
    - data mining
  - 3) theory (limited)
    - descriptive model
    - predictive model
    - mathematical analysis
    - computation
  - 4) simulation (emergence?)
  - 5) case studies
  - 6) expert opinion

- Meta-issues
  - Language
    - lack of good and shared LEXICON slows understanding and progress:
      - what is a "gene"?
      - "genome" vs "chromosome"
      - is it "noise", "randomness", "heterogeneity", "diversity"?
    - METAPHORS affect what actions are taken and what systems are developed
      - "war on cancer" leads to "military industrial complex" for cancer
    - POLITICAL CORRECTNESS stiffles progress
      - the "e" word
    - PARADIGMS proscribe and limit what futures are possible
      - treatment of disease vs. promotion of health
        taking evolution seriously means looking at the context that evolved for protection and promotion of cancer
  - Technology effects
    - hammers & nails
    - diff between engineered systems and evolved systems
      - parodies belie truth: "how biologists learn to fix a radio"; "frog legs"
    - scientists are especially susceptible
    - speed of technological change
  - Financial & political factors
    - Fadism (technological, ideological, novelty)
    - Pipeline effects
    - Healthcare-industrial-governmental complex
      - Difficulty in matching funding to specific people, groups, ideas

Spreading the word
- creating big conference (like Understanding Aging and Singularity Summit)
- creating visual and video "body of literature"
- popular magazines (Wired, New Yorker, Harpers)
- newspapers
- conceptual pieces in traditional journals
- internet / web
  - cancer complexity wiki merge with SFI wiki?
  - individual blogging
  - create new online journal
- "big ideas" conferences ([TED], PopTech, and others)
- popular book (ala Tipping Point, Freakonomics, et al)
- public speaking tour
- documentary (ala Inconveniet Truth)
- undergraduate education
  - Nowak's program
  - textbook specifically for undergrad
  - courses surrounding textbook

Ideas for catalyzing change
- alternative research institute
  - piggyback on SFI, Wistar or other existing
  - raise funds privately to start new one
- Help NCI clear the hurdles
  - [NCI Translational Continuum] ([Pathways to clinical goals)]
  - key is to get success stories
- work with each other (and other friendlies) to yield success in somatic evolution validation
  - common lexicon
- stake claim on wikipedia
- maverick funders and self-funders
  - Google, Hughes Institute, many others
- partner/collaborate with personal genomics companies
  - 23andMe, and others
- creating financial incentives
  - prize models
- peer review --> decision markets

Lessons from other paradigm shifts
- what are closest examples?
- how the existing paradigm reacts to attack
- working within the system vs. outside and on the margins
- providing a better alternative (or hope thereof) is important

Who's missing from this forum?

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 '''Changing the Paradigm'''
-* Current shortcomings of science as a whole
+* Current shortcomings of biological science as a whole
-** Methodology
+** What are the most persuasive types of argument in biology?
+*** 1) controlled experiments
+*** 2) randomized controlled trials
+**** associative
+**** data mining
+*** 3) theory (limited)
+**** descriptive model
+**** predictive model
+**** mathematical analysis
+**** computation
+*** 4) simulation (emergence?)
+*** 5) case studies
+*** 6) expert opinion
 ** Meta-issues
 *** Language
@@ Line 26: / Line 40: @@
 **** Pipeline effects
 **** Healthcare-industrial-governmental complex
+***** Difficulty in matching funding to specific people, groups, ideas
+* Spreading the word
+** creating big conference (like [http://www.mfoundation.org/UABBA/agenda/ Understanding Aging] and [http://www.singinst.org/media/singularitysummit2007 Singularity Summit])
+** creating visual and video "body of literature"
+** popular magazines (Wired, New Yorker, Harpers)
+** newspapers
+** conceptual pieces in traditional journals
+** internet / web
+*** cancer complexity wiki merge with SFI wiki?
+*** individual blogging
+*** create new online journal
+** "big ideas" conferences ([[http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/39 TED]], PopTech, and others)
+** popular book (ala Tipping Point, Freakonomics, et al)
+** public speaking tour
+** documentary (ala Inconveniet Truth)
+** undergraduate education
+*** Nowak's program
+*** textbook specifically for undergrad
+*** courses surrounding textbook
+* Ideas for catalyzing change
+** alternative research institute
+*** piggyback on SFI, Wistar or other existing
+*** raise funds privately to start new one
+** Help NCI clear the hurdles
+*** [[http://www.cancer.gov/trwg/TRWG-definition-and-TR-continuum NCI Translational Continuum]] ([[http://www.cancer.gov/aboutnci/trwg/Pathways-to-Clinical-Goals Pathways to clinical goals)]]
+*** key is to get success stories
+** work with each other (and other friendlies) to yield success in somatic evolution validation
+*** common lexicon
+** stake claim on wikipedia
+** maverick funders and self-funders
+*** Google, Hughes Institute, many others
+** partner/collaborate with personal genomics companies
+*** 23andMe, and others
+** creating financial incentives
+*** prize models
+** peer review --> decision markets
 * Lessons from other paradigm shifts
@@ Line 32: / Line 85: @@
 ** working within the system vs. outside and on the margins
 ** providing a better alternative (or hope thereof) is important
-* Spreading the word
-* Ideas for catalyzing change
 * Who's missing from this forum?

May 20 Notes: Difference between revisions

From Santa Fe Institute Events Wiki

Latest revision as of 21:09, 29 May 2008