Will open science change chemistry?
chemistryworld.com
Will open science change chemistry?
1–10 of 28 posts
Re: Will open science change chemistry?
#2> Twenty years ago the debate surrounding open science focused on access to journals. By 2020 around 25% of all chemistry papers published were open access, and now most of the major publishers of chemistry journals offer some version of open access.
I'm a big fan of open source and open access, but I'm not sure that access to journals is really a big problem for any working chemist. So if the question is whether it will "change chemistry", I would say it's unlikely.
Why? This isn't an easy field and it's full of landmines, sometimes literally so. It's really only possible to work in the field if you're in a well-funded lab in a well-funded university. Not only that, but many of these chemicals are dangerous. You're just not supposed to be dorking around with them in your basement or garage.
It's nice to imagine that somewhere out there is some poor, underfunded genius who doesn't have $100 or $200 to pay for a copy of some article, but I think from a practical perspective that's just not something holding back the field. And really, most of his or her neighbors would be happy if he/she wasn't working with dangerous chemicals in a garage.
Re: Will open science change chemistry?
#3> Twenty years ago the debate surrounding open science focused on access to journals. By 2020 around 25% of all chemistry papers published were open access, and now most of the major publishers of chemistry journals offer some version of open access. I'm a big fan of open source and open access, but I'm not sure that access to journals is really a big problem for any working chemist. So if the question is whether it…
Yep, as much as I love the idea, I would not recommend that anyone approaches even some of the basic chemistry without someone being able to stop you in time.
Re: Will open science change chemistry?
#4> Twenty years ago the debate surrounding open science focused on access to journals. By 2020 around 25% of all chemistry papers published were open access, and now most of the major publishers of chemistry journals offer some version of open access. I'm a big fan of open source and open access, but I'm not sure that access to journals is really a big problem for any working chemist. So if the question is whether it…
I’m pretty sure the majority of chemistry teachers I’ve had with real research or professional experience over the age of 50 were blind or deaf on at least one side. The remainder have a story about how they almost died.
Re: Will open science change chemistry?
#5I remember a time where high school teachers thought it was a good idea to do a demo of iodine mixed with ammonia to get NI3 which goes boom when touched and produces this nice purple cloud...to shut up the classroom students....
My Chemistry teach was a weird bass...he also taught diving to the local police departments for lake rescue in Lake Michigan and rode a motorcycle to school.
Re: Will open science change chemistry?
#6I've been playing with Avogadro lately, and some of the libraries seem pretty advanced.
You know it's legitimate science when Fortran libraries start compiling as part of the dependencies.
Re: Will open science change chemistry?
#7This article conflates a lot of different “open” ideas. Open access journals, machine readable datasets, standardized data representation, open community engagement, etc. Each of which is challenging on its own, let alone hoping to tackle all at once.
Chemistry has the blessing and the curse of being an older disciple. Fundamentals have not changed in decades. If you grab an organic chemistry text from the 70s, I guess you would be missing on some cutting edge reactions, and you would be using hilariously obsolete analytical techniques, but the synthesis is going to be the same.
Which is to say, that I do not believe chemistry is particularly held back at this point. I think the author was angling for, “Would it not be great if we had standardized, digitized chemistry reaction libraries so we could have an AlphaFold moment?” Which sure, but someone is going to have to fund the effort of digitizing decades of chemistry knowledge.
Re: Will open science change chemistry?
#8I think it’s okay if people take responsibility for their actions, to take risks known or unknown. It’s okay to live in a world where we’re not entirely insulated from negative consequences. Ive always been bummed by how inaccessible chemistry is.
Re: Will open science change chemistry?
#9I'm a strong proponent of open data but I think it needs to go beyond science.
Companies should also be incentivized or even required for keeping designs, data, interfaces etc. open. Because often scientists are reliant on devices and data platforms that restrict ownership. So even if the scientist wants to keep his data open, a product or a service that the scientist uses for his research might prevent this.
Re: Will open science change chemistry?
#10I think it’s okay if people take responsibility for their actions, to take risks known or unknown. It’s okay to live in a world where we’re not entirely insulated from negative consequences. Ive always been bummed by how inaccessible chemistry is.
Back when I ran a maker-space in Seattle we interviewed this dude who had a full bio-safety rated lab in his garage. I wish to see more of that stuff!