How to restore the universality of Science? Transparency and accessibility solutions brought by decentralized science and Web3 could be a solution.
“What is unique for the scientist is that he must not only seek the truth but proclaim it” are the words of Robert Oppenheimer that illustrate the importance of sharing scientific knowledge.
However, do scientists have the means to proclaim this truth? In fact, today, some reject the scientific word, because they think it is exploited by governments or big pharmaceutical companies. Decentralized science and Web3 could offer a way to restore the universality of science.
Decentralized science (DeSci or decentralized science) is a movement whose goal is to modernize traditional science and provide a comprehensive public infrastructure for scientific research, publication, and funding.
Specifically, the tools made available by Web3 such as the chain of blocks, smart contracts, and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), among others, allow us to glimpse a more accessible and transparent science.
DeSci advocates want to develop an environment where everyone can easily share their scientific work, as well as access and contribute to the work of other researchers. Decentralized science also strives to provide more diverse funding sources and offer a censorship-resistant model of scientific research.
Challenges of Research Funding: Solutions Offered by DeSci
The current research funding system has several shortcomings that limit its effectiveness. For researchers, obtaining funding can be a tedious task, since it requires preparing many files. The latter must comply with the requirements of bureaucratic processes that are usually long and complex.
The lack of public funding for scientific research can also force scientists to seek private funding, which can lead them to get involved in projects that do not correspond to their interests or those of society.
It is common for companies to fund studies to promote the use of their products. This practice can skew the perception of science as an unbiased search for the truth and can lead to public mistrust in the results of scientific research.
To overcome these inefficiencies, DeSci is emerging as a particularly interesting solution. In fact, Web3 technologies such as DAOs, quadratic voting, and retroactive funding offer new prospects for supporting scientific research.
A Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) is an entity managed collectively through the blockchain and that works with a joint mission. In the case of DeSci, the goal of a DAO is to fund scientific research projects. It also makes it possible to create a link between donors and researchers, to the extent that the latter can transparently follow the progress of the research project.
Little Transparency of Scientific Publication: Solutions Provided by DeSci
In academia, peer review processes are managed by scholarly publishers who trust that researchers’ work is free. In addition, scientists have to pay to publish their research, and worse, they may not even have access to the publication, since most online academic journals are paid. The need for transparency is crucial.
The solution can be community-like Halogen. This platform aims to replace the monopoly of scientific journals with a self-organized network of self-sufficient scientific communities. Publication, editing, documentation, and financing take place at the community level.
NFTs also offer excellent prospects for scientific research. Instead of simply publishing articles, researchers have the ability to create and own NFTs of their articles, which can then be cited by their peers.
Decentralized science offers hope for more transparent, accessible, and equitable research that helps restore the universality of science. However, there is still a long way to go for its full adoption.
By Audy Castaneda
