An article in Nature profiles the findings of a recent survey led by Kyle Myers (Cornell University) that evaluated how academics—hailing from about 150 different institutions in the US—approach their research. The survey touched on several aspects of the relationship between academics and their research; Nature examined the findings specific to “risk” in research. Among the findings highlighted by Nature, it was found that scientists who thought of their research as high-risk were likely to spend more time applying for grants. Personal risk-taking was also reportedly found to be highly predictive of whether researchers saw risk in their research projects. The article discusses the benefits and drawbacks of high-risk research, concluding that ultimately “science has room for all approaches to risk-taking.”
