
On Reproducibility and Clocks (2016) - plg
https://www.ascb.org/2016/2016-marchapril-newsletter/on-reproducibility-and-clocks/
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PeterWhittaker
Fascinating article on reproducibility of scientific experiments, using the
analogy of building a wooden clock based on _correct_ plans: The plans were
correct, but also allowed errors to be made by the builder, errors that
compounded to create a block of carefully cut pieces of wood.

A block that did nothing.

It took the builder, himself a research scientific, weeks of determined
trouble shooting to transform the block into moving parts that ticked.

He stuck with it because of centuries of experience that showed that it could
work.

He argues that in reproducing scientific experiments that perseverance may be
lacking and that we need to get better at documenting and describing out
methods both to reduce the amount of perseverance required and to provide a
foundation for that perseverance, reasons to believe that perseverance will
pay off.

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schoen
I really liked the "A living cell is much more complicated.³" which includes a
reference to a cell biology book. On reflection, the biggest reason that I
liked it is the way it reminded me of Randall Munroe's What If series; if
Randall wrote a What If about biology, I'm sure it would include a line like

A cell is much more complicated than a clock _[citation needed]_.

But this author went ahead and proactively gave the citation!

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hobarrera
Link is dead.

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plg
no it's not

