#3101: Good Science

Transcript

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[Blondie is standing in front of a whiteboard with some scribbles on it.]

Blondie: I'm supposed to give you the tools to do good science.

[Blondie is now standing in front of Hairbun and Cueball, who are seated at classroom desks.]

Blondie: But what are those tools?

Blondie: Methodology is hard and there are so many ways to get incorrect results.

Blondie: What is the magic ingredient that makes for good science?

[Blondie headshot.]

Blondie: To figure it out, I ran a regression with all the factors people say are important:

[A list, presented in a sub-panel that Blondie is pointing to:]

Outcome variable:

• correct scientific results

Predictors:

• collaboration

• skepticism of others' claims

• questioning your own beliefs

• trying to falsify hypotheses

• checking citations

• statistical rigor

• blinded analysis

• financial disclosure

• open data

[presumably the list goes on, as it runs off the visible part of the panel]

[Another Blondie headshot.]

Blondie: The regression says two ingredients are the most crucial:

1) genuine curiosity about the answer to a question, and

2) ammonium hydroxide

[Blondie, standing, and Hairbun, seated at desk]

Hairbun: Wait, why did ammonia score so high? How did it even get on the list?

Blondie: ...and now you're doing good science!

Title text:If you think curiosity without rigor is bad, you should see rigor without curiosity.