How Decentralized Science is Revolutionizing Research
Szymon Białas
7
min read
Last Update:
December 12, 2023
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The inception of blockchain technology was driven by the urge to free itself from the intricate ties and mechanisms woven around major banks (to put it in a very simple way). Can we identify another industry ready to cut ties with dependency? I won't ask for a headcount, but I can certainly point to one.
Decentralized Science (DeSci) emerges as a transformative movement with a distinct mission—to construct a public infrastructure leveraging the Web3 stack. DeSci envisions a fair and equitable ecosystem for funding, creating, reviewing, crediting, storing, and disseminating scientific knowledge.
Its core tenet is transparency, advocating for an open exchange of research where scientists are incentivized to share their work openly, receive due credit, and invite collaboration from a global community. Now, let's delve into the fundamental divergences between DeSci and the conventional scientific approach.
Decentralized Science vs. Traditional Science
How does the scientific community collaborate and share resources? Here lies another pivotal divergence between Decentralized Science (DeSci) and its traditional counterpart. DeSci thrives on global, dynamic teams—a collaborative tapestry woven from minds across the globe. In stark contrast, traditional science often grapples with limitations in collaborations, constrained by geographical boundaries and institutional silos.
The heartbeat of scientific progress is often measured by the extent to which ideas are exchanged, and in this domain, DeSci emerges as a beacon of accessibility and transparency. Through the integration of Web3 primitives, DeSci facilitates the transparent sharing of laboratory services and resources, making the entire process more streamlined and accessible. Scientific collaboration is not just a localized effort—it's a global symphony of minds converging to push the boundaries of knowledge.
On the other side of the spectrum, traditional science grapples with slow and opaque methods of sharing resources. Laboratories function as isolated entities, and the process of sharing becomes bogged down by bureaucratic hurdles. The contrast is palpable: DeSci's embrace of decentralization paves the way for a nimble and transparent sharing ecosystem, while Traditional Science struggles with inefficiencies inherent in its established pathways. As we dissect these distinctions, it becomes clear that the future of scientific collaboration hinges on a departure from traditional constraints, embracing a global, interconnected approach that mirrors the dynamic nature of scientific inquiry.
How DeSci Improves Science?
The answer is pretty simple: by addressing the core problems plaguing conventional scientific practices, DeSci emerges as a catalyst for positive change. In the DeSci paradigm, the distribution of funds takes on a democratic hue, driven by transparent mechanisms such as quadratic donations and DAOs. This decentralized approach stands in stark contrast to the closed, centralized control often witnessed in traditional scientific funding models.
Beyond the financial realm, DeSci introduces a seismic shift in the very fabric of collaboration. Global, dynamic teams replace the limitations of traditional collaborations, fostering a fertile ground for diverse perspectives and innovative ideas to flourish. The focus shifts from a select few controlling funding decisions to a collective, transparent effort shaping the future of scientific exploration.
One of the cornerstones of DeSci's impact lies in its commitment to transparency and accessibility. Through Web3-native tools, DeSci opens new avenues for publishing that prioritize trust and universal access. This departure from the often criticized, inefficient pathways of traditional science publishing marks a significant step towards a more inclusive and open dissemination of knowledge.
Incentives for reproducibility form another crucial pillar of DeSci's transformative influence. By offering rewards in the form of tokens and a reputation for peer-review work, DeSci dismantles the unpaid, exploitative nature of traditional peer review. This shift not only acknowledges the valuable contribution of reviewers but also establishes a system that inherently promotes rigorous and reproducible scientific practices.
In essence, DeSci stands as an embodiment of progress—a departure from the constraints of the past towards a future where science thrives on inclusivity, transparency, and the collective pursuit of knowledge.
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I was quite skeptical about DeSci the first time I heard about it. DeSci gathers the most important drivers and practices from the world of science in one place. I’d love to live in a world where I could fund research from sectors that individuals could benefit from. For example, preventing strokes, heart attacks and in general research on longevity.
Rafał Nowicki
Fullstack Developer
Use Cases for DeSci in Web3
Publishing Revolution
DeSci pioneers a radical departure from the challenges ingrained in traditional models. Traditional science publishing, often marred by exorbitant fees and restricted access, faces a formidable opponent in DeSci's approach. Web3-native tools become the cornerstone, offering solutions to long-standing problems.
Platforms like ArXiv provide a glimpse of the potential, but DeSci envisions a future where quality control, anti-sybil mechanisms, and article-level metrics are seamlessly woven into a decentralized fabric.
The aim is clear—to establish a system that not only publicizes work but does so with a legitimacy mechanism and incentive model, erasing the critical gap in accessible science papers and data.
Reproducibility and Replicability
At the heart of quality scientific discovery lies the bedrock of reproducibility and replicability. DeSci leverages Web3-native tools to elevate these foundations. Consensus systems ensure that each analysis component—raw data, computational engine, and application result—is attested for, offering a new standard for scientific rigor.
Trusted networks emerge, with each participant responsible for reproducing and validating results. In this decentralized paradigm, the calculation itself becomes a communal effort, fostering an environment where transparency and collaboration redefine the scientific process.
Funding Innovation Beyond Boundaries
The traditional funding model in science, plagued by bottlenecks, biases, and conservatism, faces disruption at the hands of DeSci. Experimenting with DAOs and various Web3 tools, DeSci envisions a future where incentive models like retroactive public goods funding, quadratic funding, and DAO governance revolutionize science funding.
The hyper-competitive landscape gives way to a more inclusive and innovative approach, where the community actively participates in shaping the scientific agenda. DeSci's vision extends beyond grants, creating a dynamic ecosystem where diverse funding sources—from individual contributions to community-driven initiatives—fuel scientific exploration.
IP Ownership and Development Reinvented
Intellectual property (IP) ownership, a thorny issue in traditional science, finds resolution in the realm of Web3 through DeSci. NFTs have emerged as a powerful tool, providing transparent value attribution chains to reward researchers, governing bodies, and even data subjects.
This novel approach not only unlocks the potential for transparent distribution of revenue but also transforms the way research experiments are conducted. IP-NFTs act as keys to decentralized data repositories, intertwining with NFT and DeFi financialization to create a sophisticated ecosystem.
Entities like DAOs find a native home on-chain, and the advent of non-transferable "soulbound" tokens adds a layer of credentialing to individuals, linking experience directly to Ethereum addresses.
Data Storage and Access Transformed
Scientific data, often siloed and inaccessible, undergoes a metamorphosis in the Web3 patterns championed by DeSci. Decentralized identities, coupled with verifiable credentials, form the starting point for a system where sensitive data is securely replicated by trusted parties.
This decentralized storage, resilient to cataclysmic events, not only ensures redundancy and censorship resistance but also fosters collaboration and the addition of new data.
Confidential computing methods, exemplified by compute-to-data, offer alternative access mechanisms, creating Trusted Research Environments that address data privacy concerns. Platforms like IPFS, Arweave, and Filecoin, optimized for decentralization, provide the foundation for a truly open scientific landscape where researchers can contribute without access permissions or fees.
Popularizing Science Through Web3
In embracing the democratizing power of Web3, DeSci envisions a paradigm shift in scientific research funding. Moving beyond traditional models, DeSci taps into the collective wisdom of the crowd, encouraging contributions from individuals passionate about specific research topics.
Through decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), the community takes an active role in shaping the scientific agenda, fostering an inclusive environment where diverse voices contribute to the advancement of knowledge. This approach not only challenges the traditional grant-centric landscape but also paves the way for a more dynamic, community-driven allocation of resources.
Revolutionizing Research with Web3 and DeSci
The transformative impact of DeSci and Web3 cannot be overstated. From redefining how research is funded to revolutionizing publishing models and ensuring transparent ownership of intellectual property, DeSci emerges as a beacon of innovation.
The collaborative and decentralized ethos championed by DeSci aligns with the principles of Web3, marking a departure from traditional constraints. As we look to the future, the integration of Web3 technologies in scientific endeavors holds the promise of a more accessible, inclusive, and community-driven scientific landscape.
Through DeSci, the journey towards a decentralized and democratized scientific ecosystem takes a bold step forward, offering new possibilities for researchers, contributors, and enthusiasts alike.
DeSci, short for Decentralized Science, is a movement dedicated to constructing public infrastructure within the Web3 stack. Its mission encompasses the fair and equitable funding, creation, review, credit, storage, and dissemination of scientific knowledge. DeSci operates on the principle that scientific knowledge should be accessible to everyone, promoting transparency in the research process. The movement strives to decentralize and distribute scientific research, making it more resilient against censorship and control by central authorities.
What are the differences between decentralized science and traditional science?
The distinctions between decentralized science (DeSci) and traditional science are profound. DeSci champions transparent and community-driven distribution of funds through mechanisms like quadratic donations and DAOs, while traditional science often relies on closed, centralized groups. DeSci fosters global and dynamic collaborations, whereas traditional science may encounter limitations in collaborations due to funding organizations and home institutions. Funding decisions in DeSci are made online and transparently, in contrast to the opaque and time-consuming processes in traditional science.
How does DeSci contribute to scientific innovation?
DeSci introduces innovative approaches to scientific innovation by addressing key challenges in the traditional scientific landscape. Through diverse funding sources, accessible data, and incentives for reproducibility, DeSci aims to revolutionize the scientific ecosystem. By leveraging Web3-native tools, DeSci pioneers new models for publishing, ensures transparency in funding mechanisms, and creates an environment where scientists can be rewarded for their peer-review work. Overall, DeSci envisions a future where science is more accessible, collaborative, and resistant to the limitations of traditional models.
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