Returning to broader issues that affect paleontology and the public understanding of science, I think it's important to use this space to add my voice to the chorus calling for a new age of open scientific publishing. Mike Taylor of the SV-POW blog has been one of the loudest, clearest, and most persistent voices in this issue, offering post after impassioned post at SV-POW calling for the wall erected by many academic publishers between the public and scientific research to be torn down. Taylor has now written a piece for the Guardian which is well worth reading. I can't say it more clearly and wouldn't try.
There is a White House petition which is well on its way to amassing its goal of 20,000 signers. It's painless. A few days ago, I was signer number 700 and change. It's already well past 10,000 signatures. Please, do it. Open access to research paid for by our tax dollars is crucially important. Plus, you don't need to be an American to sign. Sign the petition and take a few minutes to read about this issue.
To wit, a few more bloggers on the Academic Spring:
Jon Tennant at Green Tea and Velociraptors
Jalees Rehman for the SciAm Guest Blog
Michael Eisen's Wired Op-Ed
David Dobbs at his Wired blog Neuron Culture
Every Tuesday when I share papers for the dinosaur of the week with readers I mention how lovely it is to find open source papers and how sad it is that all I have to share some weeks is abstracts or even just titles of academic papers. Consider that petition signed.
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