Fixing Science

Co-Sponsored with the National Association of Scholars. Learn More

Theme

Many headline scientific findings in recent years have turned out to be false. They can’t be reproduced—and if you can’t reproduce a result, it isn’t science. The headlines are just the tip of the iceberg. A huge amount of ordinary scientific findings published in peer-reviewed journals doesn’t replicate. Something has gone terribly wrong in contemporary scientific procedures.

Science’s failure is called the Irreproducibility Crisis. It is the result of improper use of statistics, arbitrary research techniques, lack of accountability, political groupthink, and a scientific culture biased toward producing positive results. By some estimates, half of recent scientific research could be irreproducible.

“Fixing Science” brings together scholars from several disciplines to talk about practical ways to fix how science works. Panelists will suggest how research, scientists, academics, government officials, and philanthropists should reform scientific research. Special panels will describe how the irreproducibility crisis affects specific disciplines, including economics and climate science. Other panels will examine topics such as groupthink and falsifiability. Throughout, “Fixing Science” will focus on which reforms have worked so far, to help us craft and propose initiatives going forward. The conference will help advance practical solutions to the Irreproducibility Crisis by scientists, civil society, and lawmakers.

Speakers Include

Elliott D. Bloom: Professor Emeritus, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford University

Louis Anthony Cox, Jr.: Professor of Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado

James E. Enstrom: President, Scientific Integrity Institute

Tim C. Edgell: Principal, Environmental Services, Stantec, Inc., Canada

Daniele Fanelli: Fellow in Quantitative Methodology, Department of Methodology, London School of Economics and Political Science

Lee Jussim: Chairman, Department of Philosophy, Rutgers University

Yuri A. Lazebnik: Professor, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; Co-founder and Chief Science Officer, Scite, Inc.; Founder, Lerna Consulting, LLC

David M. Levy: Professor of Economics, George Mason University

Deborah G. Mayo: Professor Emerita of Philosophy, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Patrick J. Michaels: Senior Fellow, Competitive Enterprise Institute

David Randall: Director of Research, National Association of Scholars

Mark D. Regnerus: Professor of Sociology, University of Texas at Austin

Nathan A. Schachtman: Of Counsel, Ulmer & Berne LLP; former Lecturer in Law, Columbia School of Law

Michael Shermer: Presidential Fellow, Chapman University

Barry Smith: SUNY Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Julian Park Chair, Philosophy Department, University at Buffalo

David J. Theroux: Founder and President, Independent Institute

David Trafimow: Professor of Psychology, New Mexico State University

Anastasios Tsonis: Distinguished Professor of Mathematical Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Richard K. Vedder: Senior Fellow, Independent Institute; Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Economics, Ohio University

Graham H. Walker: Executive Director, Independent Institute

Ronald L. Wasserstein: Executive Director, American Statistical Association

Peter Wood: President, National Association of Scholars

S. Stanley Young: Chief Executive Officer, CGStat, LLC