The Macroscience Podcast Metascience 101 - EP3: "The Scientific Production Function"
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Sep 25, 2024 
In this engaging discussion, Kelsey Piper talks with Adam Marblestone, CEO of Convergent Research, and Paul Niehaus, an economics professor and co-founder of GiveDirectly. They delve into the complex factors influencing scientific production, from funding ecosystems to selecting impactful research questions. The trio emphasizes the importance of innovative funding and the cultural dynamics within science. They also explore the balance between academic convention and groundbreaking research, advocating for clearer communication to enhance public trust in science.
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Field-Level Bottlenecks Limit Big Progress
- Fields self-select for problems individuals can excel at, leaving large, resource-heavy bottlenecks unaddressed.
- Identifying system-level leverage points needs different teams, resources, and incentives than standard grants enable.
Build Roadmaps Around Clear End Goals
- Start with a clear, motivating end goal and build a roadmap of the research needed to reach it.
- Use that roadmap to split tasks by skill and attract targeted teams and funders.
Apprenticeship Model Shapes Project Choices
- Lab apprenticeship models double as labor production, constraining risky or long-horizon projects.
- Students and postdocs choose safer projects, reinforcing conservative research choices.