Science Is Like a Chicken Coop

Explore the complex dynamics of scientific research and reform in this 54-minute plenary talk delivered by Richard McElreath at the sortee.org conference in July 2021. Delve into the challenges of reforming scholarly incentives and examine how structural and demographic forces shape the quality and transparency of scholarship. Through analogies from population biology, discover insights into the cultural evolution of scholarly communities. Learn about the limitations of incentives in chance-driven environments, the impact of demography on scientific progress, and the potential for effective science reform. Gain a deeper understanding of the interplay between professional incentives, institutional structures, and cultural change in academia.

Intro
The Churching of America
The Four Pillars of Research
Policy Impact Analysis
Evolution Ecology
Natural Selection of Bad Science
Chicken Behavior
Group Selection
Science is like a chicken coop
The sheep paradox
Institutional change
Cultural change
Bespoke model of academia
Evolution of scientific beliefs
Demography is destiny
Example
Luck
Science Reform
Conclusion
Where do we go
Outro