Pure Scientist Research Articles

Rediscovering and Unrediscovering Gregor Mendel: His Life, Times, and Intellectual Context.

Two things about Mendel were "rediscovered" in 1900: His famous paper of 1865 and the story of his life and long neglect. Unlike the paper, which anyone could read in its entirety, the story came out only gradually, and many of its elements were misconstrued by Western European scientists. They pictured him as a pure scientist like themselves and were puzzled by or disinterested in his career as a clergyman, his intellectual community in far-off Moravia, and the importance to him of practical plant breeding. This paper recapitulates the process of mythmaking that followed the rediscovery, then shows how more recent historical research has been able to undo it and, in a sense, "unrediscover" Mendel.

University-led dialogues with society: balancing informing and listening?

In response to a growing understanding that scientific knowledge is not always trusted at face value, many universities organise dialogues to `open up' to society. In four exploratory case studies at the Dutch Wageningen University & Research, we looked into the adherence to dialogue principles and the roles that researchers performed while engaging in dialogues. We found that researchers face three challenges when interacting with societal stakeholders in dialogues: (1) moving from knowledge provider to “letting in” and listening to different perspectives (2) balancing attention toward knowledge with attention toward values and emotions (3) navigating different aspired and perceived roles of researchers in dialogue (e.g. Pure Scientist versus Issue Advocate).

Stealth advocacy in ecology and conservation biology

Ecologists routinely engage directly or indirectly with policy. Long portrayed as a tradeoff between a scientist's societal impact and their credibility, the decision to advocate for specific policies is now widely treated as a matter of personal choice. However, increasing polarization at the science-policy interface has led to a re-examination of the potential pitfalls associated with different policy contexts. We analyze two major biodiversity-related policy issues (non-native species, species at risk) using an existing science-policy framework where policy context is defined by the level of uncertainty and the level of value consensus in society. We argue that ecologists and conservation biologists often find themselves operating in contexts where uncertainty is high and/or value consensus is low. In these conditions, even a common set of facts can generate several legitimate policy alternatives: scientists have the choice to act as issue advocates (narrowing the range of options), or honest brokers (expanding policy options). However, there is also a high risk that scientists might communicate their own policy preferences in a way that is indistinguishable from scientific results: so-called “stealth advocacy”. Conflating value-driven positions and scientific advice is not only counterproductive for science, it also hinders the resolution of the environmental challenges we are trying to address, potentially leading to more polarized debates. With four possible roles for scientists at the science-policy interface – pure scientist, science advisor, issue advocate, and honest broker – close attention to their own values and those of others can help scientists more effectively navigate their interactions with broader society.

Liaofu Luo: A pure scientist of theoretical biophysics

Liaofu Luo: A pure scientist of theoretical biophysics

(Not So) common places: The roles of ecologists in environmental public policy

Current socio-environmental issues challenge ecologists to contribute to their resolution through public policy. There are many possible forms of contributing to public policy besides providing information. A conceptual model proposes four roles, namely Pure Scientist, Science Arbiter, Issue Advocate and Broker of Alternatives. These roles differ in their view of science and whether they offer options to decision makers. In this work, we explored through a survey approach the self-perception of Argentine ecologists about their role concerning environmental public policies. We characterized the socio-professional profile of the ecologists according to different dimensions. Additionally, we explored the satisfaction level with the roles adopted and explored the exogenous and endogenous factors necessary to adopt the desired ones. Our results showed that the most common roles among argentine ecologists are Pure Scientists and Brokers of Alternatives. Surveyed ecologists showed intermediate satisfaction levels with the role they assume and half of them would like to assume another role, in most cases that of Broker of Alternatives. One of the main reasons that determine their satisfaction level is the possibility of linking their work with decision making. The most common causes for dissatisfaction mentioned are exogenous factors such as the restrictions within their workplace, available time and other actors' attitude towards the idea of collaborating. The argentine scientific system has an unsatisfied demand for a change concerning the engagement of ecologists with environmental public policy. We suggest that these changes should be addressed given the urgent environmental problems.

Pioneering political ecology: perceptions of nature, Indigenous practices and power relations during Alexander von Humboldt's travels in Latin America

This article is an attempt to discuss the image of Alexander von Humboldt as a pure natural scientist with a humanist ethos, and to highlight that he was in fact one of the first thinkers who anticipated positions known today as political ecology. We outline that his universal knowledge obviously has contradictory perspectives, and was interpreted in several directions. On the one hand, there is the position taken by post-colonial critics that Humboldt showed Eurocentric and imperialist thinking during his travels to the Americas, as Pratt has advocated. On the other hand, and in explicit contrast to the post-colonial critique, Humboldt has been regarded by Sachs as a founding figure of American environmentalism and as "perhaps, the first ecological thinker." Furthermore, Wulf's biography titled The Invention of Nature tries to show that Humboldt wanted to bridge the gap between the emerging natural sciences and Romanticist aesthetics. However, based on his writings, we argue that his perception of nature has been misread and that his position was shaped by a view akin to open and critical political ecology, as opposed to pure nature constructivism without including local humans. We show this by focusing on his research methods that were open to local Indigenous ecological knowledge, his appraisal of Indigenous socio-cultural systems, his perception of nature as Indigenous cultural landscapes degraded by colonial and early capitalist market forces, his openness towards Indigenous ontologies of what we call nature, and finally his focus on local institutions for the sustainable governance of resources.

Metodologi Tafsir Ilmi:

Thantawi Jauhari and Zaglul an-Najjar are two among many interpreters who approach the interpretation of the Koran with a scientific perspective, both of which try to present the other side of the scientific Koran, both represent different times, the status of the two is not the same too, as Zaglul who is a pure scientist and Thantawi who is a philosopher. Because of the unique interpretation they have thought of, many researchers have studied certain things in their interpretations, of course one of the reason is because of the methods they use. This type of research is a qualitative research with a text analysis approach, the main data from this study are taken from the interpretation book of Thantawi and Zaglul and other sources that are in accordance with the research theme. The results showed that Zaghlul and Thantawi did not use the same model in their interpretation.

Academics Know Better (?): Scholars and Politics in Major Opinion Dailies During the 2015 Presidential Campaign in Poland

What is the role of scholars when discussing activities of politicians during an election campaign? The article offers a study of articles and interviews conducted with academics in major opinion dailies Gazeta Wyborcza, Rzeczpospolita and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna in the final weeks of the 2015 presidential campaign in Poland. Pielke’s categories of scientists – Honest Brokers of Policy Alternatives, Pure Scientists, Science Arbiters and Stealth Issue Advocates – are used as a point of departure to ask about the part played by scholars in media, to ‘enlighten’ and admonish readers they deem uninformed about what is good for them, or to serve a role closer to Burawoy’s Public Sociologist, who engages in dialogue with others. I conclude that given the election results, which surprised and disappointed most of these scholars, adopting the latter stance may prove a better strategy in convincing voters about the usefulness of scholarly expertise in their political choices.

From pure science to participatory knowledge production? Researchers’ perceptions on science–policy interface in bioenergy policy

Abstract There is a plea for dialogue and interaction between researchers and policymakers, particularly in relation to burning and complex societal problems. However, day-to-day science–policy interaction remains a challenge. By investigating researchers’ perspectives on challenges and opportunities of evolving interaction between science and policy, this article contributes to the ongoing discussions on workable and effective science–policy interface. The analysis, based on twelve in-depth interviews with experienced forest bioenergy researchers working at different organizations in Finland, shows that researchers appreciate a variety of roles and contributions from pure scientist to participatory knowledge production. Paradoxically, researchers ideologically still adhere to objective and linear knowledge production, which is, however, associated with multiple challenges such as politicization of science, disuse or misuse of scientific knowledge and communication. The article concludes that more nuanced consideration and acknowledgement of science–policy context as well as researchers’ role in it could create mutual benefits for research and policy.

Scientific Ethics and the Pendulum of Dehumanization

The article contends that science is forsaking its core purpose, which is to meet human beings' intrinsic epistemological need to understand the world, know it and explain it fully for specific purposes. On the one hand are the pure scientists, overly concerned with solving their research problems but indifferent to the uses to which their work might be put. Another question is the system itself-companies, corporations and governments-which takes advantage of this negligence or indifference and develops applications or technologies for its own economic or political benefit, instead of meeting real needs of individuals or social groups. Finally, there are the students of science, who are not necessarily afforded a well-rounded humanistic education that might make them feel ethically linked to their environment and accountable before society for their scientific work. This combination of elements has led to a loss of meaning and a growing dehumanization as a corollary to the increasingly rapid, chaotic and disconcerting surge of new technology.

Researchers must be aware of their roles at the interface of ecosystem services science and policy.

Scientists working on ecosystem service (ES) science are engaged in a mission-driven discipline. They can contribute to science-policy interfaces where knowledge is co-produced and used. How scientists engage with the governance arena to mobilise their knowledge remains a matter of personal choice, influenced by individual values. ES science cannot be considered neutral and a discussion of the values that shape it forms an important part of the sustainability dialogue. We propose a simple decision tree to help ES scientists identify their role and the purpose of the knowledge they produce. We characterise six idealised scientific postures spanning possible roles at the science-policy interface (pure scientist, science arbiter-guarantor, issue advocate-guardian, officer, honest broker and stealth issue advocate) and illustrate them with feedbacks from interviews. We encourage ES scientists to conduct a reflexive exploration of their attitudes regarding knowledge production and use, with the intention of progressing toward a higher recognition of the political and ethical importance of ES assessments.

The Impossible "Pure Scientist" Travel, Representation, and the Self in Louis MacNeice's I Crossed the Minch

The Impossible "Pure Scientist" Travel, Representation, and the Self in Louis MacNeice's I Crossed the Minch

DAMPAK LATAR BELAKANG PENDIDIKAN DOSEN PADA PEMAHAMAN MAHASISWA PENDIDIKAN TEKNIK BANGUNAN 2011

ABSTRACT The purpose of the present study was to determine the level of student understanding on a subject, based on the educational background of a teacher who taught in the classroom. The expected result is that students can understand the level of mastery of the material in the learning process based on area of ​​expertise educators. The method used is the method of unstructured interviews, the research procedure that uses interviews, which is a process to collect information for research purposes by way of question and answer face to face between the interviewer or interviewers with the respondents answering or using a tool called a local interview (interview guide ). Conclusion is obtained, the extension building technical education students in 2011 to better understand when taught by lecturers who graduate educational background of the pure scientist. Keywords: Background Education, Understanding, Competence, Professional

Climatologists’ patterns of conveying climate science to the agricultural community

Climatologists have a unique role in providing various stakeholders and public data users with weather and climate information. In the north central region (NCR) of the United States, farmers, the agricultural sector, and policy makers are important audiences for climate science. As local and global climate conditions continue to shift and affect agricultural productivity, it is useful to understand how climatologists view their role as scientists, and how this influences their communication of climate science to agricultural stakeholders. In this study, data from interviews (N = 13) and surveys (N = 19) of state and extension climatologists in the NCR are analyzed to identify perceived roles and responsibilities as scientists and communicators. Pielke’s (The honest broker: making sense of science in policy and politics, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2007) framework of the idealized roles of scientists and their communication patterns are used to develop a typology of climate science communication. Findings reveal that more than half of climatologists perceive their role to provide information as pure scientists, while some engage in an arbiter role when requested. Fewer climatologists view their role as not only producing new knowledge, but also relating it to society and providing an expanded variety of alternative applications. Climatologists who perceive their role as simply providing information and letting data users interpret its application are missing an opportunity to reduce the gap between what scientists know and farmers believe. This suggests that if climatologists would frame their climate science message in terms of agricultural impacts, hazard mitigation and risk management alternatives they could help the agricultural sector adapt to and mitigate environmental risks from a changing climate.

Feasibility of a Dual Neurosurgeon-Scientist Career in Canada: A Survey Study

Performing 'good work' in either neurosurgery or neuroscience alone is a challenge. Despite this, a large number of neurosurgeons divide their careers between the two fields, and attempt to excel in both arenas simultaneously. The purpose of this study is to explore perceptions on whether it is possible to do good work in both neurosurgery and research simultaneously, or whether one field suffers at the expense of the other. This question was put to practicing neurosurgeons via an electronic survey that was distributed to resident and staff neurosurgeons in Canada. 54 surgeons completed the survey, 32 of whom were current or intended neurosurgeon-scientists. Themes explored through the survey included motives behind the pursuit or absence of research in one's neurosurgical career, the quality and feasibility of a dual career, and alternatives to one individual assuming a dual role. The opinions obtained revealed that it is possible to do good work in both neurosurgery and neuroscience simultaneously, but in reality it is very difficult to do. Alternatives to this dual career, such as collaboration between clinical neurosurgeons and pure scientists for example, may help bridge the gap between clinical and research arenas.

A Longitudinal Study of the Influence of Intellectual Human Capital on Firm Exploratory Innovation

This research seeks to extend the current understanding of the relationship between intellectual human capital and exploratory innovation within organizations. In particular, this study explores the direct and facilitating roles played by three kinds of intellectual human capital: 1) pure scientists; 2) bridging scientists; and 3) pure inventors, for the two dimensions of firms' exploratory innovation: 1) recombinatory innovation and 2) pioneering innovation. The research model is tested using the patent, publication, and financial data of biotechnology firms from around the world.

Target-based drug discovery, genetic diseases, and biologics

The last fifteen years have witnessed a major strategic shift in drug discovery away from an empiric approach based on incremental improvements of proven therapies, to a more theoretical, target-based approach. This arose as a consequence of three technical advances: (1) generation and interpretation of genome sequences, which facilitated identification and characterization of potential drug targets; (2) efficient production of candidate ligands for these putative targets through combinatorial chemistry or generation of monoclonal antibodies; and (3) high-throughput screening for rapid evaluation of interactions of these putative ligands with the selected targets. The basic idea underlying all three of these technologies is in keeping with Marshall Nirenberg’s dictum that science progresses best when there are simple assays capable of generating large data sets rapidly. Furthermore, practical implementation of target-based drug discovery was enabled directly by technologies that either were originated or nurtured by Marshall, his post-docs and fellows. Chief among these was the genetic code. Also important was adoption of clonal cell lines for pharmacological investigations, as well as the use of hybridomas to generate molecular probes that allowed physical purchase on signaling elements that had previously been only hypothetical constructs. Always the pure scientist, Marshall’s contributions nevertheless enabled fruitful applications in the pharmaceutical industry, several of them by his trainees. Both the successes and the shortcomings of target-based drug discovery are worthy of consideration, as are its implications for the choices of therapeutic goals and modalities by the pharmaceutical industry.

Academic Literacies; Discourse and Epistemology in a Swedish University

This article explores the perceptions of active senior researchers from different scientific and scholarly areas about scientific and scholarly writing, specifically that associated with research. The study comprises interviews with 12 researchers in four different faculties at a Swedish university: Arts, Social Sciences, Science and Technology, and Medicine. The article draws on Biglan’s (1973) and Becher’s (1994) four intellectual clusters, i.e. (1) hard pure (natural) science; (2) soft pure (arts and social) sciences; (3) hard applied (engineering) sciences; and (4) soft applied (education) sciences and connects them with Graue’s (2006) four identified writing traditions in academia, of: reporting, interpreting, constituting and praxis. The findings suggest that researchers in the applied sciences see writing as having a mediating and creative function for research while, for pure scientists, writing is based on epistemology that does not attribute a mediating function to language (Wertsch, 1998). The study also indicates that researchers who are active in applied science, e.g. professional education of various kinds, are positioned at the interface between the discipline and individuals as social beings, and that they operate as epistemological boundary crossers for the faculties.

A Noble prize in practical politics: Elinor Ostrom

Economists win Nobel Prizes for elegant blackboard exercises in pure reason and political scientists win Nobel Prizes for detailed studies of practical reason. Such a noble intellectual division of labor economists study economic theory and political scientists study political realities generates tensions for rational choice theory (RCT). Is RCT a pure or an applied theory? Does RCT work in limited or broad domains of human behavior? Does RCT produce explanations or understandings of politics? Examining these tensions in the RCT community help us appreciate the significance of Elinor Ostrom's Prize.

Bragg, Mawson and Brown, and the Early Uranium Discoveries in South Australia

The discovery of uranium at Radium Hill in the Olary region in 1906 excited much public interest in South Australia as well as the attention of three of its most prominent scientists: W.H. Bragg, D. Mawson and H.Y.L. Brown. At the same time, radioactivity was recognised in the Moonta mines. The reaction of each was different with Bragg being revealed as more of a pure (rather than applied) scientist who was held in the highest public esteem, whilst Mawson quickly became the entrepreneur. Brown shows himself as the trustworthy, yet cautious, Government advisor. As the youngest of the three, Mawson continued his pioneering interest for the rest of his life. With the discovery of uranium at Mount Painter in 1910, his entrepreneurial acumen was enhanced, supported not only by intensive geological investigations, but also by skills in accessing the resource, sourcing development capital and envisaging mining development. His rising status as a heroic Antarctic explorer was presumably an advantage. Reduced Government and public interest in the Mount Painter discovery initially is reflected by delayed involvement from Brown, who was then approaching retirement. In 1909, Bragg left South Australia to pursue his academic career and further scientific research on radioactivity and X rays in the United Kingdom. This led to the award of the Nobel Prize in 1915 (jointly with his son), yet no ongoing involvement in South Australian uranium.