Scope of Blog

Yet another proposal for organization of the solar system. Here, the the Moon orbits the Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn orbit the Sun, and the Sun orbits the Earth and Moon. From De mundi ætherei recentioribus phænomenis, Tycho Brahe, (Uraniborg, 1610) Q.8.14, p.189, Magdalen College Library, Oxford University, Oxford, UK.

This blog is to supplement my published work and academic website with review and commentary on current topics in contemporary biology. One broad set of topics I hope to address concerns the kinds of knowledge a 21st century understanding of cellular and organismic biological function will need to consist of. A second is the epistemic tools (eg., particular molecular methods and paradigmatic experimental designs) that researchers would use to gain such knowledge. A third is occasional essays on scientific or policy directions on which I have expertise not relevant to the first two goals. I may add other topics in future.

In 2016, some of the last decade’s ideas about how blogging might permit new kinds of journalism and exchange of ideas now seems naive (DeLong, 2008, van der Werff, 2015).   However, I’m impressed by the continuing contribution of this medium to some academic discourses. In biology, these include the use of blogs to explain how research works, extend the reach of science journalism, and to identify scientific misconduct (including the now closed science-fraud.org). They also include timely positive contributions to discussion of the scientific literature (Rosie Redfield, Derek Lowe) during a historical epoch in which (for some topics I care about fiercely) the reliability and quality of this literature is very, very, low.  But I am most impressed by the use of blogs by contemporary economists to articulate and test ideas more quickly than could be done by exchanges in published literature.

For this experiment in blog writing, my biggest inspiration has been Lior Pachter’s siteon computational biology (whose layout I have imitated, at least to start).  But I am also impressed by work in this medium by number of macroeconomists, including Simon Wren-Lewis, Larry Summers, Paul Krugman, and most particularly Brad DeLong.

Policy: All comments must include a valid email address in the appropriate box (however, people who comment are welcome to use pseudonyms). I will reject comments I find inappropriate.  This blog in 2016 and succeeding years is Copyright Roger Brent.  Visitors are free to link to any of the content and to reproduce it so long as they reference it properly (publication citation, url, etc.)

References

de Long http://www.bradford-delong.com/2008/11/homesteading-th.html and http://www.bradford-delong.com

Krugman http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com

Lowe http://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/

Pachter https://liorpachter.wordpress.com/

Redfield http://rrresearch.fieldofscience.com/

Summers http://larrysummers.com/category/blog/

van der Werff http://www.vox.com/2015/8/6/9099357/internet-dead-end

Wren-Lewis https://mainlymacro.blogspot.com