Science of Science

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=12.5% BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" width="100%" style=" border-top: 26px solid #FFFFFF; border-left: 63px solid #FFFFFF;border-right: 63px solid #FFFFFF;" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="1" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="885" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#808080" BORDERCOLORDARK="#FFFFFF" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#DDDDDD HEIGHT= 88 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="14d61e4a0.png" border=0 width="798" height="74" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="152953530.jpg" border=0 width="83" height="83" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#BBBBBB HEIGHT= 30 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Silvalab"><B> <IMG SRC="154761190.png" border=0 width="97" height="25" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><B> </B><A HREF="projects.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Projects "><B><IMG SRC="147e61190.png" border=0 width="97" height="25" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><A HREF="approaches.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Approaches"><B><IMG SRC="147f61190.png" border=0 width="97" height="25" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><A HREF="publications.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Publications"><B><IMG SRC="148061190.png" border=0 width="97" height="25" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><A HREF="personnel.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lab Members"><B><IMG SRC="148161190.png" border=0 width="97" height="25" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><A HREF="alcino.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Alcino J. Silva"><B><IMG SRC="148261190.png" border=0 width="97" height="25" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><A HREF="awards.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Awards"><B><IMG SRC="148361190.png" border=0 width="97" height="25" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><A HREF="positions.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Open Positions"><B><IMG SRC="148461190.png" border=0 width="97" height="25" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><A HREF="aboutus.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="aboutus"><B><IMG SRC="148561190.png" border=0 width="97" height="25" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#6666CC HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="881"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="20" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="881" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="1" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="883" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#FFFFFF" BORDERCOLORDARK="#000000" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 1 WIDTH="240"><div> Projects:</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="aging.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Aging and Cognition"><B>Aging and Cognition</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="camkii.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CaMKII and learning"><B>CaMKII and learning</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="enhancements.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cognitive enhancements"><B>Cognitive enhancements</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="cortical.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cortical memories"><B>Cortical memories</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="recovery.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Enhancing plasticity and recovery"><B>Enhancing plasticity and recovery</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="disabilities.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Learning disabilities"><B>Learning disabilities</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="allocation.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Memory allocation"><B>Memory allocation</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="genes.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Novel memory genes"><B>Novel memory genes</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="schizophrenia.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Schizophrenia"><B>Schizophrenia</B></A></div> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Science of Science</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>   <IMG SRC="1563d7ac0.jpg" border=0 width="215" height="172" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div>    <A HREF="http://www.its.caltech.edu/~sgeier/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.its.caltech.edu/~sgeier/">picture by Stan Geier</A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=2 COLSPAN=3 WIDTH="618"><div> <IMG SRC="150a8d2b0.jpg" border=0 width="397" height="299" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.its.caltech.edu/~sgeier/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.its.caltech.edu/~sgeier/">background picture by Stan Geier</A></div> <bR> <div> Science of Science</div> <div> Science has very few systematically tested principles of how to best focus its efforts.</div> <div> Systematic investigation and testing of general principles of scientific practice is central to our science of science (S2) project. As a first step in this project, we are developing a taxonomy of experimentation. This taxonomy will be used to classify and therefore carefuly study the impact of different experimental strategies.  Recently, our laboratory was awarded a grant for these studies (the Discovery Neuroscience Fund).</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=2 COLSPAN=4 BGCOLOR=#EEEEEE HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <B>The vast majority of the 18 million articles in Pubmed have hardly been sited. Why is this?</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Why do some studies have an impact and others do not? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Is there anything that can be learned from successful studies that could be used to improve future research?</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>What are the principles/frameworks we use to plan the next experiment?</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Have any of these principles been systematically tested? Can they be studied and improved?</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=2 COLSPAN=4 HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="861"><div> The ultimate goal of S2<FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calibri" > </FONT></div> <div> S2 is concerned with the development of pragmatic, validated general principles for increasing the efficiency of science, just as the ultimate goal of medical research is the development of systematic principles to incerase the efficiency of medical treatments.  </div> <bR> <div> Understanding the practises of science and developing strategies to increase its efficiency will have an impact on many areas, including the education of young scientists, publication and funding. Most importantly, we hope that the clarity and objectivity that S2 will bring will help to further creativity's reach.</div> <bR> <div> S2 and the philosophy of science</div> <div> Although both are concerned with ideas about the structure of science and there is a natural synergy between the two, S2 is more focused on the systematic testing of these ideas, just as medicine is interested in the systematic testing of ideas about the treatment of disease.  Philosophy of science has traditionally been based on individual insights, opinions and ideas, not necessarily on testing of those ideas.</div> <bR> </tD> </tR> <tR> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=4 HEIGHT= 134 ><NOBR><div> Key reference</div> <bR> <div> We have recently published a paper that summarizes our vision for S2, including a description of our Convergent Four hypothesis (<A HREF="http://www.silvalab.com.cnchost.com/silvapapers/silvajp2008.pdf" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.silvalab.com.cnchost.com/silv">PDF</A>)</div> <bR> <div> This project has been a collaboration with <A HREF="tony.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Anthony Landreth">Anthony Landreth</A> and  <A HREF="http://www.artsci.uc.edu/philosophy/faculty/bickle.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.artsci.uc.edu/philosophy/facu">John Bickle</A></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=4 HEIGHT= 131 WIDTH="861"><bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="projects.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Projects ">Projects </A>   ·   <A HREF="approaches.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Approaches">Approaches</A>   ·   <A HREF="publications.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Publications">Publications</A>   ·   <A HREF="personnel.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lab Members">Lab Members</A>   ·   <A HREF="alcino.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Alcino J. Silva">Alcino J. Silva</A>   ·   <A HREF="awards.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Awards">Awards</A>   ·   <A HREF="pictures.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lab Pictures">Lab Pictures</A>   ·   <A HREF="positions.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Open Positions">Open Positions</A>   ·   <A HREF="aboutus.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="aboutus">aboutus</A>   ·   <A HREF="contact_us.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact us">Contact us</A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>