Ian Foster

Research in Paradise

This was the title of a talk I gave in New Zealand a couple of weeks ago, at Running Hot, a conference for young New Zealand scientists. (The slides are mostly images, so may not be too illuminating.) It was a great meeting. Participants from every field of science and speakers ranging from the Chief Scientific Advisor for Scotland to the Dean of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland discussed what it means to be a working scientist, and to support science, in a country of 4M people.

In my talk I discussed the impact of information technology on the practice of science:

Impressed with the telephone, Arthur Mee* predicted in 1898 that if videoconferencing could be developed, 'earth will be in truth a paradise.' Since his time, rapid technological change, in particular in telecommunications, has transformed the scientific playing field in ways that while not entirely paradisical, certainly have profound implications for New Zealand scientists. The Internet has abolished distance, as Mee also predicted–a New Zealand scientist can participate as fully in online discussions as anyone else, and their blog can be every bit as influential. Exponential improvements in networks, computing, sensors, and data storage are also profoundly transforming the practice of science in many disciplines. But those seeking to leverage these advances become painfully familiar with the 'dirty underbelly' of exponentials: if you don't constantly innovate, you can fall behind exponentially fast. Such considerations pose big challenges for the individual scientist and for institutions, for researchers and educators, and for research funders. Some of the old ways of researching and educating need to be preserved, others need to be replaced to take advantage of new methods. But what should we preserve? What should we seek to change?

(*) Arthur Mee was a remarkable fellow, known to many in the British Commonwealth (but not, I think, in the US) through his wonderful Childrens' Encyclopedia.

Scientific Collaboration on the Internet

I'm looking forward to receiving my copy of Scientific Collaboration on the Internet. I have an article in it on lessons learned from the NEESgrid project (an earlier version is here, I think it's a good read, especially between the lines), but the other articles are probably far more interesting: