The future of science

The Generosity of New Media - Science, Technology and Innovation


This week's theme is a field that dominates and permeates every aspect of our lives. In the learning materials, we have explored the complex issues surrounding the scientific research - how the role of media has facilitated, accelerated and simultaneously slowed down the process of research.

While the lecture focuses on open and shared data's macro benefits and the communication between scientists, I wish to explore these various questions: How has the way of conducting scientific research transformed throughout the years? What are the changes in the communication channels of science? How have the sharing and publication of science (within academic circles and to the public) changed? How has the use of database facilitated scientific research?

Science, technologies, invention and innovation create ongoing transversals - they transform media, which then change all forms of science in what Murphie (2013) calls a 'feedback loop'. Wilbanks (2011) states that scientific research is still profoundly tied to the media of print, including academic journals, releases of latest innovative development and databases. The print systems aren’t very adaptable to the world of the internet, unfortunately. Even worse, the paper-based status quo relies on strictly enforced barriers to public access which prevent the rapid dissemination of vital knowledge (Wilbank 2011). Although this way enables secured profits through punitive pricing, such a rigid and outdated way of communication has diminished the transfer of knowledge. In addition, it has slowed down the efficiency of innovation in the research industry.

Producing and storing data is not enough. As Rosling (2010) puts forward, researchers need to be able to present them in a way that is both accessible and comprehensible for the viewers. A video below shows Rosling's short and interesting visualisation of life expectancy and income level of 200 countries over 200 years, using augmented reality animation.

200 years of 200 countries' data explained in 5 minutes

If scientific data is presented in an easy and visual way (like in the video), the same group of tedious data immediately becomes much more engaging and meaningful. Thus, it is empirical for the industry to understand the philosophical transactions of knowledge - the importance of a platform which enables researchers to collaborate, publish and share the knowledge which is comprehensible to the public.

Though peer-reviewed work has arguably constrained the discourse of ‘fact-making’ in the scientific community, it has largely facilitated collaboration and critiquing of research methods. In academic circles, research paper serves as the ‘container’ of knowledge that is learned from and disseminated (Wilbanks 2011). Science knowledge has been turned into an economic transaction all because of publishing. Yet the current publishing system delays the dissemination of research, considering the time-consuming production and verification of journals and their standard distribution time.

Even though the cost of digital publishing and distribution is constantly decreasing, the knowledge industry constantly enforces legal covenants that make it difficult to transfer knowledge in research circles. With crippled knowledge-compression systems, under-developed protocols for digital science database, multiple hoops to jump through when publishing, such as digital library access and copyright law, it's getting harder to produce AND consume scientific knowledge (Seed Magazine 2011). But if we can enjoy free digital transfer of cultural objects, why should the digital transfer of knowledge be any different?

It's difficult to find a smart and transversal solution, especially one that overlaps existing ecologies of publishing and scientific practice. But how can we find a new and sustainable 'container' for scientific knowledge?

Perhaps a better way to facilitate scientific research and publishing is to think beyond the idea of knowledge as copyright. Emerging global challenges demand rapid responses and flexibility from the scientific community. This can only be achieved through a reformation of the culture and practice of science. Seed Magazine (2011) suggests a market-driven change toward access which tackles with the limitations of the outdated copyright laws - open source knowledge. 'Rip, Mix and Burn’ is an unspoken mantra in the distribution and re-distribution of cultural content in the digital landscape to disseminate knowledge (Wilbanks 2011). For instance, publishers like BioMed Central and the Public Library of Science use Creative Commons copyright licenses to grant all rights to their users to 'make and distribute copies, to remake and remix the knowledge, reserving only the mandate for attribution'  (Wilbanks 2011). This is a fundamental change from the conventional copyright-reliant, paper-based research publishing to a realm where the data, ontologies, and machine-readable knowledge meet. Unlike our ordinary readable platforms such as blogs, videos and music, this system is a field where the publication of research serves as a distributed commons of knowledge which can be created, shared and spread without restrictions.

If all fail, maybe the industry can consider to transfer knowledge and skills the 'Dollhouse' way. Look at the short video clip below to get an impression of this amazing idea!

Dollhouse's concept explained

Basically, it is a technology which manipulates people's neural system to achieve a blank state. This requires people to surrender their minds (despite their willingness). Subsequently, their minds will be stored in a database and replaced by one of the personality imprints stocked in a character bank. If such a technology is ever available for humans, the science community could save the valuable, scientific knowledge in a hard drive, and transfer such data into people's minds, without corrupting with their personalities, of course. Instead of publishing via print and digital platforms with associated constraints such as copyright, one can easily purchase a hard drive full of knowledge and simply plug it in our heads. (Perquisite: if the distribution channels are fully established and the technology has diffused to provide affordable prices.) How amazing would that be? Yes, this is unethical, disturbing and a violation to human rights. But hey, for all I know, it's always good to have something to fall back to?

Word: Open Science

References:

'Dollhouse' explained in under three minutes Eliza Dushku, 2009, YouTube video, accessed 16 May 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0MhT7H-j1U>.

Hans Rosling's 200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes - The Joy of Stats - BBC Four, 2010, YouTube video, accessed 16 May 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jbkSRLYSojo>. 

Murphie, A. 2013, The Generosity of New Media - Science,Technology and Innovation/The Future, lecture notes, University of New South Wales,  accessed 16 May 2013, <http://www.andrewmurphie.org/3091/lecture-notes/#weeks-ten-and-eleven-science-technology-innovation-invention-the-future>.

Open Science Summit - Openness by far and away will win out! 2011, YouTube video, accessed 16 May 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMxYymZ8Zqo>.

Seed Magazine 2011, 'On Scientific Transfer', Seed Magazine, 27 January, accessed 16 May 2013, <http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/on_science_transfer/>.

Wilbanks, J. 2011, 'On Science Publishing', Seed Magazine, 28 January, accessed 16 May 2013, <http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/on_science_publishing>.