Researchers studying the Earth’s biosphere typically come from three different scientific cultures, each with their own unique ways of conducting science. These cultures have historically operated separately from one another. The authors of a Perspective published in PNAS identify and explain these three cultures, and suggest that bringing them together could help accelerate biosphere science.
On April 19, 2024, SFI Professors Christopher Kempes and Geoffrey West, along with External Professor Brian Enquist from the University of Arizona, have identified and explained three different cultures and propose that reconnecting them could help speed up biosphere science. The first culture, known as “variance,” is the act of participating in activities such as bird counts or collecting bugs and wildflowers, and focuses on observing and naming the details of biology. The second culture, “exactitude,” prioritizes models that utilize increasing amounts of data with ever-finer detail and resolution. This culture emphasizes having the best model of the…The world-sized model, as described by Kempes, is essentially a coarse-grained culture that focuses on generalities, simplifications, and underlying principles in order to understand the big picture. These different cultures exist in various scientific fields but are not fully integrated in the biosciences at the moment.
West argues that in order to achieve good science, it is essential to incorporate all of these cultures. Good science, which involves a deep understanding of what is known and observed, providing new insights, and making testable predictions, is crucial for finding long-term solutions to major problems. This type of science is also important for guiding practitioners in their work.
This has become an urgent matter for addressing the future of the planet and the sustainability of our entire socio-economic enterprise. However, there is a delay in the development of a predictive science of the biosphere. Critics propose that the cause may be a lack of data, an insufficient number of experiments, or the complex nature of the biosphere. “We propose it’s more than that,” says Enquist. “Largely, the delay is due to unresolved tension between these three scientific cultures.” And that tension restricts the speed and depth of scientific progress.
The ability to merge different cultures of science, including empirical, theoretical, and computational, is crucial for advancing our understanding and predictive capabilities. According to the authors, “Synthetic, synergistic, and integrated science — science that can address increasingly more complex problems — occurs when all three cultures are merged.”
For example, the theory of evolution, as proposed by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, is cited as an instance of this convergence. Both scientists came from different cultural backgrounds but were able to think in terms of general principles. They independently developed the theory of evolution, which was later combined with genetics to form mathematical theories for population genetics, ultimately leading to the Modern Evolutionary Synthesis. This demonstrates the interconnected nature of different scientific cultures in advancing our understanding of complex phenomena.
The integration of cultures in the field of science has been advanced through the use of models and modern computing precision. This integration may lead to tensions, but it ultimately benefits science by revealing assumptions and promoting a clear understanding of the fundamental variables and mechanisms at play in the system, according to Enquist. Integration improves the effectiveness of predictions by consistently challenging theories with data and enabling iteration. This iterative process allows scientists to quickly refine their assumptions and predictions, and it guides the collection of new data. The authors recommend that the science of the biosphere should move towards integration.The community needs to interact more with historians of science and focus on increasing outreach, workshops, undergraduate courses, awards, and funding for transculturalism in science. Scientific journals also have a role to play in promoting papers that transcend not only disciplines, but cultures as well.
According to the Modern Evolutionary Synthesis, biologists have not always been separated by culture and there is no need for it now. By breaking down artificial academic and intellectual barriers, biosphere scientists will open the door to rapid, revolutionary, and urgently needed scientific progress. Kempes believes that all it really takes is for people to take an interest in other scientific fields.
Journal Reference:
- Brian J. Enquist, Christopher P. Kempes, Geoffrey B. West. Developing a predictive science of the biosphere requires the integration of scientific cultures. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2024; 121 (19) DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2209196121