2022年经济学人 结束科学停滞期（2）

This suggests that breaking bad funding habits should make a difference.

这表明，打破不良的资助惯例应该会有所帮助。

The DARPA model, which has more in common with venture capital than traditional funding structures, is an attempt to do just that.

相比传统资助体系，与风险投资有更多共同点的DARPA模式就是一种尝试。

It empowers programme directors to finance high-risk, high-reward projects with a bent¹ towards real-world use.

在这种模式下，授权项目主管有权资助高风险、高回报且更为实用的项目。

But though it has proved successful in the defence industry—funding groundbreaking technologies from the early internet to GPS—it may not be quite as successful elsewhere.

尽管在国防工业，从早期的互联网到全球定位系统(GPS)，这种资助突破性技术的模式很成功，但在其他领域可能效果欠佳。

A book chapter published in February by Ms Li and Pierre Azoulay at MIT notes that the DARPA model does best when its programme directors have a clear understanding of the sort of breakthroughs that are needed.

李和MIT的皮埃尔·阿祖雷在2月份出版的一本书中指出，当DARPA的项目主管熟知需要哪种突破时，DARPA的模式表现最好。

This is often the case at DARPA itself, where both the funder and user of new tech is the defence department.

DARPA本身往往就是这种情况，新技术的资助者和使用者都是国防部。

In areas like energy or health care, things are rather less straightforward³.

在能源或医疗保健等领域，事情就没那么简单了。

The end users are many and dispersed⁴ rather than a single government department.

这些领域的终端用户众多且分散，并非单一的政府部门。

Indeed, other work by Mr Azoulay and colleagues notes that although ARPA-E, an energy-focused outfit⁵ launched in 2009, is still in its relatively⁶ early days, it is yet to produce advances on a par² with its defence-orientated predecessor⁷.

事实上，阿祖雷和其同事们的其他研究指出，尽管2009年成立的专注于能源的美国能源部先进能源研究计划署（ARPA-E）仍处于相对早期的阶段，但它尚未取得与其重视国防的前身同等水平的进展。

Another approach in vogue⁸ is to fund “people not projects”.

另一种流行的方法是资助“人而不是项目”。

Most conventional grants fund specific projects for a specific amount of time, usually a few years, which researchers worry prevents them from pivoting⁹ to new ideas when old ones do not work out and fails to allot¹⁰ enough time for risky¹¹ ones to come to fruition.

大多数传统的赠款都是在特定的时间内资助特定的项目，时间通常是几年，研究人员因此担心，当旧的想法不起作用，也没有分配足够的时间来实现高风险想法时，他们会来不及转向新想法。

A study in 2011 compared researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, where they are granted considerable flexibility¹² over their research agendas and lots of time to carry out investigations¹³, with similarly accomplished¹⁴ ones funded by a standard NIH programme.

2011年的一项研究将两组水平相当的研究人员进行了对比，第一组由霍华德·休斯医学院在研究议程上给予了很大灵活性，并提供了大量时间开展调查，而第二组由NIH标准项目资助。

The study found that researchers at the institute took more risks.

研究发现，第一组承担了更多风险。

As a result, they produced nearly twice as much highly cited work, as well as a third more “flops” (articles with fewer citations¹⁵ than their previously¹⁶ least-cited work).

最终，他们写出了近两倍的高被引论文，而只多出了三分之一的“惨败文章”(被引用次数创新低的文章)。

These results may be hard to replicate¹⁷ elsewhere.

其它领域可能很难出现同样的结果。

Researchers at the Howard Hughes institute are selected for attributes that suggest they will thrive in such a flexible environment.

霍华德·休斯研究所的研究人员被选中，是因为他们具备在灵活环境中从容应付困难的特质。

But the gap is big enough to indicate that others may also benefit from more freedom.

但两组对比的差距之大足以表明，其他人也可能从更多的自由中受益。

Despite the uncertainty¹⁸ about exactly how best to fund scientific research, economists²⁰ are confident of two things.

尽管资助科学研究的最佳方式尚未确定，但经济学家们对两件事深信不疑。

The first is that a one-size-fits-all approach is not the right answer, says Heidi Williams of Stanford University.

第一，一刀切的方法并非正解，斯坦福大学的海蒂·威廉姆斯如是说。

DARPA models, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s curiosity-driven method, and even handing out grants by lottery²¹, as the New Zealand Health Research Council has tried, all have their uses.

DARPA的模式，霍华德·休斯医学研究所的好奇心驱动法，乃至像新西兰健康研究理事会所尝试的那样，通过抽签发放赠款，都有它们的用途。

Evaluation²² of them can then build knowledge of what works, says Matt Clancy, an economist¹⁹ who curates a continuously updated online literature survey on innovation, itself an experiment in how to improve science.

经济学家马特·克兰西称，对它们进行评估可以让人了解其效用。克兰西策划了一项关于创新的持续更新的线上文献调查，这本身就是一项测试如何促进科学发展的实验。

The second is that this burst of experimentation²³ must continue.

第二，这一系列实验必须继续下去。

The boss of the NSF, Sethuraman Panchanathan, agrees.

NSF的老板塞图拉曼·潘查纳坦对此表示赞同。

He is looking to reassess projects whose reviews are highly variable—a possible indication of unorthodoxy.

他希望重新评估那些评价变化很大的项目--这可能是出现非正统想法的迹象。

He is also interested in a Willy Wonka-style funding mechanism²⁴ called the “Golden Ticket”, which would allow a single reviewer to champion a project even if his or her peers do not agree.

他还对威利·旺卡式的资助机制“黄金票据”感兴趣，这种机制允许单一评审者在其他人都否决的情况下也能支持一个项目。

Mr Clancy notes that many venture-capital partnerships²⁵ employ similar policies, because they prioritise the upside of long-shot projects rather than seeking to minimise failure.

克兰西指出，许多风险投资合作伙伴关系都采用了类似的政策，因为他们会优先考虑长期项目的好处，而不是想方设法将失败降至最低。

Thus far, there is little quantitative²⁶ evidence on whether Golden Tickets produce Golden Outcomes.

到目前为止，几乎没有量化证据能够表明黄金票据是否会产生黄金结果。

All the more reason to try them.

那就更应该去尝试了。

1 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

2 par   

n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的

参考例句：

• Sales of nylon have been below par in recent years.近年来尼龙织品的销售额一直不及以往。
• I don't think his ability is on a par with yours.我认为他的能力不能与你的能力相媲美。

3 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

4 dispersed   

adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的

参考例句：

• The clouds dispersed themselves. 云散了。
• After school the children dispersed to their homes. 放学后，孩子们四散回家了。

5 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

6 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

7 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

8 Vogue   

n.时髦，时尚；adj.流行的

参考例句：

• Flowery carpets became the vogue.花卉地毯变成了时髦货。
• Short hair came back into vogue about ten years ago.大约十年前短发又开始流行起来了。

9 pivoting   

n.绕轴旋转，绕公共法线旋转v.（似）在枢轴上转动( pivot的现在分词 )；把…放在枢轴上；以…为核心，围绕（主旨）展开

参考例句：

• Here is a neat YouTube video showing the Gyro's pivoting mechanism. 这里是一个整洁的YouTube视频显示陀螺仪的旋转机制。 来自互联网
• Dart pivoting is widely used in the gannent pattern design. 省道转移的原理在服装纸样设计中应用十分广泛。 来自互联网

10 allot   

v.分配；拨给；n.部分；小块菜地

参考例句：

• The government is ready to allot houses in that area.政府准备在那个地区分配住房。
• Who will she allot the easy jobs to?她把轻活儿分给谁呢？

11 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

12 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

13 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

14 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

15 citations   

n.引用( citation的名词复数 )；引证；引文；表扬

参考例句：

• The apt citations and poetic gems have adorned his speeches. 贴切的引语和珠玑般的诗句为他的演说词增添文采。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Some dictionary writers use citations to show what words mean. 有些辞典的编纂者用引文作例证以解释词义。 来自辞典例句

16 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

17 replicate   

v.折叠，复制，模写；n.同样的样品；adj.转折的

参考例句：

• The DNA of chromatin must replicate before cell division.染色质DNA在细胞分裂之前必须复制。
• It is also easy to replicate,as the next subsection explains.就像下一个小节详细说明的那样，它还可以被轻易的复制。

18 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

19 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

20 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 lottery   

n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事

参考例句：

• He won no less than ￡5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。
• They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。

22 evaluation   

n.估价，评价；赋值

参考例句：

• I attempted an honest evaluation of my own life.我试图如实地评价我自己的一生。
• The new scheme is still under evaluation.新方案还在评估阶段。

23 experimentation   

n.实验，试验，实验法

参考例句：

• Many people object to experimentation on animals.许多人反对用动物做实验。
• Study and analysis are likely to be far cheaper than experimentation.研究和分析的费用可能要比实验少得多。

24 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

25 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

26 quantitative   

adj.数量的，定量的

参考例句：

• He said it was only a quantitative difference.他说这仅仅是数量上的差别。
• We need to do some quantitative analysis of the drugs.我们对药物要进行定量分析。