Orthetrum migratum (Rosy Skimmer)

IUCN Status: Least Concern

Have you ever has something you wanted, and you couldn't let go of the idea even though the evidence did support it? That's what happened when I identified this individual. You see, I took this photo in WA, so I was hoping that it was something interesting, that I couldn't just find around Brisbane. I spent way too long checking and rechecking. It was a closer colour match to a different, more exotic species, but morphology doesn't lie.

My desire to difference results on such a little issue causes pause and contemplation that there are all sorts of biases and pressures on science. Every facet of the process from selection of research topic, methodology, interpretation and publishing are subject to bias and error. The counter to this is that the system is self-correcting as results are independently reproduced and verified. However, as is coming to the surface in what’s being termed a “crisis of reproducibility” this aspect of the scientific process has been neglected, and subject to the same pressures and biases.

There is clearly more incentive to do new work than to reproduce someone else’s findings, and I imagine that finding funding for new work is similarly easier that trying to find someone to sponsor an effort to verify existing results. On top of that, the actual process of reproducing the tests can be extremely difficult, and require sharing of complex information, negotiated through complex agreements, and specialist bespoke equipment. Little wonder that so many fields of science are looking at their liturgy and wondering which of it is useful, and which needs to be repudiated.

Critically, process self-correction is actually happening. Projects are underway to target key experiments for reproduction of results. Also, there are “meta” changes taking place, as the scientific community grapples with reforming itself to place emphasis and prestige on reproducing results, placing it on par with the new discovery, and placing more value on the publication of negative results.

It’s interesting times, and lots of fields of study are surely going to see significant change. We will end up with more robust scientific practices in the long term.