The Macroscience Podcast Metascience 101 - EP1: "Introduction"
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Sep 17, 2024 Heidi Williams, an economist focused on the science landscape in America, joins Caleb Watney, co-founder of IFP, to delve into metascience. They critique the current state of U.S. science, assigning it a B minus grade, and discuss how collaborative approaches are transforming research. The conversation explores innovative funding models beyond traditional peer review, emphasizing the balance between pharmaceutical innovation and pricing. They also highlight the importance of evidence-based decision-making for enhancing scientific methodologies.
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US Public Funding Drives Global Science
- The US leads global science funding with large public investment and concentrated top labs.
- This public role shapes worldwide innovation spillovers in medicine, energy, and tech.
Science As A Public Good
- New scientific knowledge behaves like a public good, causing private markets to underprovide research.
- Economists therefore support public funding, patents, and tax incentives to align private and social returns.
Cancer Drug Timelines Reveal Missing Medicines
- Heidi Williams studied cancer drug timelines and found long trials reduce patent life and discourage investment.
- Shorter trial tech would likely spur many more drugs and save substantial life years.