#3101: Good Science
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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!
(Sourced from explainxkcd.com)
Title text:If you think curiosity without rigor is bad, you should see rigor without curiosity.