Topic: “Scientific Analysis of Science: How Social Science Can Improve Science and Innovation and Save the World”

Science policy in the US faces huge problems: continued stop-go fluctuations in federal support; declines in the academic job opportunities of PhDs in many fields, growing disparity of pay within the sciences, and between finance and other fields and science; greater competition from overseas; and the failure of the pharmaceutical firms to produce drugs to maintain their huge R&D commitment; and a focus on short-term crises that bodes ill for long-term science investments. But the scientific analysis of science is on the cusp of great advances that can raise the productivity of science and innovation. Digitalization of data on scientific activities provides new insight into what works and does not work in policy. Social network sites and experiments offer new ways to improve the "team production process of science. Non-linear iterative models of how knowledge produces innovation and economic advance can move from drawing board to test and improving the science-innovation link. This talk will make the case for the title claim and provide examples of new insights.