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Quantification Quandary

Michael Nielsen says it's "very, very difficult for even the best scientists to accurately assess the value of scientific discoveries," which partly explains why some of the most influential revelations — like Einstein's theory of gravity — "were initially underappreciated." Despite their participation in a discipline so deeply vested in metrics and statistical significance, scientists have not yet determined the best way to judge the value of research, Nielsen says. Still, while "it may be near-impossible to accurately evaluate scientific work, as a practical matter we are forced to make such evaluations," he says. "Every time a committee decides to award or decline a grant, or to hire or not hire a scientist, they are making a judgment about the relative worth of different scientific work." In an essay on his blog, Nielsen suggests that "heavy reliance on a small number of metrics," such as h-index values and citation counts, "is bad for science."

The Scan

Positive Framing of Genetic Studies Can Spark Mistrust Among Underrepresented Groups

Researchers in Human Genetics and Genomics Advances report that how researchers describe genomic studies may alienate potential participants.

Small Study of Gene Editing to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

In a Novartis-sponsored study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that a CRISPR-Cas9-based treatment targeting promoters of genes encoding fetal hemoglobin could reduce disease symptoms.

Gut Microbiome Changes Appear in Infants Before They Develop Eczema, Study Finds

Researchers report in mSystems that infants experienced an enrichment in Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Finegoldia and a depletion of Bacteroides before developing eczema.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Specificity Enhanced With Stem Cell Editing

A study in Nature suggests epitope editing in donor stem cells prior to bone marrow transplants can stave off toxicity when targeting acute myeloid leukemia with immunotherapy.