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39th out of 65 books
—
7 voters
Reinventing Discovery: The New Era of Networked Science
In "Reinventing Discovery," Michael Nielsen argues that we are living at the dawn of the most dramatic change in science in more than 300 years. This change is being driven by powerful new cognitive tools, enabled by the internet, which are greatly accelerating scientific discovery. There are many books about how the internet is changing business or the workplace or govern...more
Hardcover, 264 pages
Published
October 3rd 2011
by Princeton University Press
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An important book, which lost its (tenuous from the start) grip on me on page 78.
Nielsen is an advocate for open science, and in this book he draws a picture of science standing at the threshold of its most important advance since the establishment of the Royal Society and the first norms of scientific publishing and data-sharing. The amplifying power of internet, he argues offers new opportunities for collaboration and sharing. The challenge is to move the bulk of the scientific community away...more
Nielsen is an advocate for open science, and in this book he draws a picture of science standing at the threshold of its most important advance since the establishment of the Royal Society and the first norms of scientific publishing and data-sharing. The amplifying power of internet, he argues offers new opportunities for collaboration and sharing. The challenge is to move the bulk of the scientific community away...more
"In the most successful online collaborations this use of microexpertise approaches an ideal in which collaboration routinely locates ... people with just the right microexpertise for the occasion. In particular, as creative collaboration is scaled up, problems can be exposed to people with a greater and greater range of expertise... Instead of being an occasional fortuitous coincidence, serendipity becomes commonplace. The collaboration achieves a kind of designed serendipity..." (27)
"In this c...more
"In this c...more
A very engaging read and an important effort describing science done in online communities. Nielsen compares our situation today with that in the 17th century when scientific results first began to be shared widely through publication.
Today the opportunity, and challenge, is to share science earlier, when thought and experiment are still formative, doing science cooperatively, engaging many minds with the problem at hand, and thus finding results often much faster than with older methods. Examp...more
Today the opportunity, and challenge, is to share science earlier, when thought and experiment are still formative, doing science cooperatively, engaging many minds with the problem at hand, and thus finding results often much faster than with older methods. Examp...more
Michael Nielsen presents how Internet enhances our knowledge and problem-solving skills. He provides examples how (and when) a well-done collective intelligence can outsmart the most capable minds and be used in the leading edge of science and technology.
Moreover, the book not only contains examples, but has a visionary part - it shows an already started path to science more open among scientists and also inviting amateurs for their meaningful contribution. If you are interested in the future of...more
Moreover, the book not only contains examples, but has a visionary part - it shows an already started path to science more open among scientists and also inviting amateurs for their meaningful contribution. If you are interested in the future of...more
Reinventing Discovery (2011) by Michael Nielsen is a book that looks at how the Internet and advances in computing technology is changing and will change the way that science is done.
Nielsen starts by looking at the Polymath Project, a blog set up by Tim Gowers, a Fields Medalist, where math problems have been solved at amazing speed. He goes on to mention the Galaxy Zoo and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey where amateurs can do valuable work in identifying galaxies and can do it with remarkable spe...more
Nielsen starts by looking at the Polymath Project, a blog set up by Tim Gowers, a Fields Medalist, where math problems have been solved at amazing speed. He goes on to mention the Galaxy Zoo and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey where amateurs can do valuable work in identifying galaxies and can do it with remarkable spe...more
This book is about how we can/should do science from now on. It promotes Open Science approach, which is based on the ideas of sharing data in an open source fashion, using the network to focus the attention of experts, benefiting from intelligent amplification tools, and etc.
I think it is a must-read book for professional scientists and a good book for science enthusiasts. It is generally written very well. The downside is that at points it becomes repetitive and loses its fast pace. Even thoug...more
I think it is a must-read book for professional scientists and a good book for science enthusiasts. It is generally written very well. The downside is that at points it becomes repetitive and loses its fast pace. Even thoug...more
Apr 11, 2012
Eric
added it
Eh, well, it was *OK*. I found the yay Internet! breathlessness a bit annoying (OMG this is going to change the way we do science!). But it was useful for me to learn about initiatives like the Polymath project and the Galaxy Zoo; and it was interesting to hear the thinking about where and where this sort of massive collaboration could work (and where it might fail). The notion of a shared praxis is one potentially useful takeaway. Some hopeful notes for the future, nothing too surprising if you...more
Goed leesbaar boek over de reden om een cultuurverschuiving te weeg te brengen naar open science. Nielsen geeft uitvoerige beschrijvingen van diverse 'citizen science' projecten en beschrijft hoe door onder een enorm groot publiek allerlei onbekende talenten aan bod kunnen komen die de collectieve intelligentie kunnen versterken.
Door het 'cognitive surplus' te gebruiken is het mogelijk om een van wetenschap 'networked science' te maken en een dataweb te creëren.
p. 155 : 'Most people are plenty...more
Door het 'cognitive surplus' te gebruiken is het mogelijk om een van wetenschap 'networked science' te maken en een dataweb te creëren.
p. 155 : 'Most people are plenty...more
Lots of fun to read. I started off really enthusiastic about this. Then it got to be a little bit repetitive by repeating its themes and same 3-4 examples too many times. Its still very interesting to learn about collective intelligence. The thesis of the book is to encourage science to take on a new paradigm of open source data collection and shared results. Seems to be a little idealistic but it makes a pretty good point of how fast innovation could advance if everybody is directed in a simila...more
An enjoyable read. Nielsen looks at ways of doing science in new ways leveraging groups and openness. The keys to success that he outlines;
- Tapping micro expertise (e.g. Innocentive)
- Modularizing collaborations
- encourage small contributions
- build a rich community of past data and debate (i.e., design for "reuse") (e.g., Polymath)
- dynamical division of labor
- use signaling cues (e.g., scores) to direct attention. This works best if it can be computed immediately.
- users have to have a shared...more
- Tapping micro expertise (e.g. Innocentive)
- Modularizing collaborations
- encourage small contributions
- build a rich community of past data and debate (i.e., design for "reuse") (e.g., Polymath)
- dynamical division of labor
- use signaling cues (e.g., scores) to direct attention. This works best if it can be computed immediately.
- users have to have a shared...more
Feb 26, 2012
M. Mangan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
academics, scientists, science-interested public
This was a comprehensive look at the possible ways for science to evolve from the current "ivory tower" perspective. Nielsen offers several examples of projects that have succeeded in making real discoveries and/or accomplishments using crowdsourcing and open science strategies. He also illustrates examples that didn't succeed, which are useful to know. While acknowledging barriers that are currently hindering more of these types of projects, he offers potential ways around the barriers as well....more
Open collaboration is transforming the method and pace of scientific research. Michael Nielsen surveys some of the well known initiatives in this field and evaluates the benefits and barriers to open science. I was a bit disappointed that the subject was addressed mostly from the perspective of academic research and did not address the economics, barriers, and opportunities if these models were applied to commercial R&D.
Clear-eyed, provocative look at the state of culture of scientific research and how it can be reformed with the aid of collaborative technology and the willingness on the part of scientists to embrace a new mindset of openness and transparency in scientific work. As a technologist, and a science-fanboy, it brings together two of my greatest aspirations and kindles a wildfire in my mind. Absolutely loved it!
Decent discussion about the open science and how to approach it given the constraints, for example, faced by the career demands of the scientists. In times I had the feeling that the writing was a bit sloppy and repetitive, but this was easy enough book to read and a useful way to start discussion for real.
Good ideas for opening science, potential for collaboration and sharing of networked data. Author seemed frustrated by science politics, and didn't offer a solid vision for transitioning to a more open science.
Interesting look at citizen science and opening up more science to everyone. Was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more material on what tools are already available that extend individual cognitive abilities.
Nielsen uses great examples in this easy to read exposition promoting the use of open science. A must read for anyone interested in the sciences, and for scientists in particular.
Nice overview of networked and citizen science, placed in the broader context of the open source movement and other "architectures of attention"
After reading the review in Science, I'd like to take a peek at this book myself. http://www.sciencemag.org/content/336...
Most of the ideas about collective intelligence were not new (Emergence, Wisdom of Crowds), but were nicely presented and updated. What I appreciated was that rather than the simplistic "scientists should share their data" conclusion, he took a pretty accurate look at the barriers that currently limit the sharing of scientific data and ways that these might be overcome.
Interesting but a bit too gung-ho. At least give the luddites (me) some modicum of attention!
Very interesting book on how science has evolved and still can evolve.
Nov 21, 2011
Benjamen
marked it as to-read
rec'd tyler cowen
a masterpiece from a master
I really enjoyed this discussion of leveraging new tools, pushing new norms, and developing incentives for the next step in the way science is done. I recommend this book highly to anyone interested in science -- especially citizen scientists, "new"/young scientists, and open minded scientists. I found this book a compelling enough argument to provide influence on how I do science. This is going on my "re-read every so often" shelf.
Very interesting book about the powers and limitations to open & networked sharing of information in our society and what it could do to our pace of discovery and innovation. Also, what short and long-term barriers exist that slow down this potentially game-changing adaptation.
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I would actually highly recommend this book, although it could probably be a lot shorter.
Fantastic, thoroughly sourced treatment of the uneasy meeting between scientific tradition and the possibilities offered by the newest online collaboration technology. Recommended to anyone interested in the furthering of science in society.
May 20, 2013
Philip
marked it as to-read
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Podcast on the book at the Carnegie Council | 1 | 4 | Feb 18, 2012 01:00pm |
Apr 06, 2012 03:15pm