Problems and trends of the development of modern science

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Lviv Polytechnic National University

Problems and trends of the development of modern science

Pochapska I.Ya

Introduction

Over the past decade, living conditions and social approaches have changed significantly, and pandemics, natural disasters, and military confrontations have introduced their corrections into social life. All the mentioned influencing factors affect not only social life, but also trends in science and scientific research. In fact, a successful scientific result is influenced, first of all, by the training of specialists, funding of research and the possibility of practical application of research results.

The creator of science can be a group of scientists (corporate science) and a specific person whose scientific achievements have an individual character.[1] Many modern scientists see the future of humanity, civilization and science in particular in different ways, anticipating the advantages and disadvantages that civilization brings. For example, Ray Kurzweil is the inventor of the most innovative, an international authority in the field of artificial intelligence and one of our greatest visionaries. It now offers a framework for imagining the twenty-first century, an era in which the combination of human sensitivity and artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing and improving the way we live. Kurzweil's book "The Age of Spirit Machines" is a kind of guide on our way into the next century.

In the book Kurzweil outlines his vision for how technology will progress during the 21st century. Kurzweil believes that evolution is proof that humans will one day create machines that are smarter than they are. He introduces his Law of Accelerating

Returns to explain why key events occur more frequently over time. This also explains why the computing power of computers grows exponentially. Kurzweil argues that this augmentation is one of the ingredients in the creation of artificial intelligence; such developments will lead to the fact that computers will have their own will and spiritual experience, and thanks to this, people will live forever [2]. Such a vision of the future of the scientific community was received ambiguously: some (given the authority of the author) perceived the book as their own prediction, and others (such as Bill Joy, Colin McGinn, John Searle, etc.) argued that computing could not create computers with its consciousness Kurzweil developed similar ideas in his next book "The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology". However, Kurzweil in [3] claims that machine intelligence will be infinitely more powerful than all human intelligence combined, moreover, he clearly indicates that this will happen in 2045.

At first glance, such ideas seem not just futuristic, but fantastic. However, delving into history, one can find many examples of being ahead of their time, such as the discoveries of Galileo and Copernicus, Gray and Bell, Renten and Pouliot, Hedy Lamar and Tim Berners-Lee. This list can be continued because the things that are familiar to us now were innovative in their time thanks to the hard work of many researchers.

Next, let's dwell on some trends that are monitored as a priority direction of research, and consider some features of the development of science in Ukraine from the point of view of the formation of the view of scientific personnel.

Presenting main material

According to official statistics for 1991, the number of organizations that carried out scientific research and development in Ukraine was 1,344, and the number of scientists was more than 300,000. During the 30 years of independence of our state, the reduction of these indicators was monitored. Thus, in 2013, the directory "Scientific Institutions of Ukraine" listed 732 institutions, and already in 2019, the number of scientific organizations was 417, and the number of employees engaged in scientific research and experimental development was 79.3 thousand. Of them, 64.5% are researchers, 9.4% are technicians, and 26% are support staff. The share of doctors of science and doctors of philosophy (candidates of science) was 29.6%, and researchers - 45.6%. [5]

Based on the data of official statistics, we see certain problems in the training of scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel [6-9]. Thus, 2012 -2013 years the number of scientific and higher educational institutions with graduate school and the number of higher educational institutions that train postgraduates were approximately at the same level respectively ~520 and 250. However, in the period of 2014-2017, their number decreased to ~485 and 230, respectively, but remained essentially stable, instead, since 2018, the number of scientific and higher educational institutions with postgraduate degrees and the number of higher educational institutions that prepare postgraduate students have decreased by ~10%. The tendency to decrease the number of these institutions is progressing from year to year, as the number of such organizations has decreased by 21% over 20 years.

A similar situation exists with the human component, according to official data, the number of people who entered and completed postgraduate studies in Ukraine decreased by 2.5 times.

At the same time, the age group from 30 to 39 years old was and remains the most numerous among researchers, while researchers aged 65 years and older accounted for almost the same share.

A logical question arises: what is the reason for such a decline in the interest of young people in scientific research? Does no one want to do mental work?

In fact, it refers to a number of problems, among them the low level of social and economic security, the lack of housing and the prospects of having it in the near future, the low level of material security at the workplace, little free time, etc. In addition, now postgraduate study lasts 4 years, so it affects personal and private life in a certain way, because all postgraduate students, regardless of status, have neither time nor the possibility of additional earnings. International cooperation, business trips, participation in conferences and the desire to stay abreast of all scientific trends require funding, which can be obtained again by spending considerable effort through sponsors, grants or participation in competitions for obtaining prizes or government funding. In Ukraine, there are two different ways of submitting requests for grants, they practically exclude one: administrative (a scientific institution provides a package of documents for receiving a grant from itself) and individual (a group of researchers submits their idea for a scientific project immediately to the grantors with or without notification from their supervisor). The last way is focused on attracting talented people to the scientific system of the donor state. Another way to do science is private research laboratories, but this of course includes a scientific career, but it creates good material conditions both in the workplace and outside it. And yet the main forms of training of highly qualified scientific and scientific-pedagogical workers remain postgraduate and doctoral studies.

At the same time, the requirements for scientists are expanding [10-11], which, in fact, are fixed at the legislative level, due to which a modern scientist is required not only to specialize in the field of his activity, but also to master foreign languages and various technical means.

However, there is no official statistical information on the socio-economic status, working conditions, mobility and youth before emigration of young students of Ukraine, and the data that can be found in open sources are incomplete, subjective and not systematized. However, a significant share of those who emigrated, won a grant for research or study, supports scientific interaction with domestic scientists.

In general, everything is not so pessimistic, because at the state level in Ukraine, even now, there are programs to support current innovative ideas. The surge of "young" science occurs approximately in 2013-2015, according to official statistics [6-9] it was during this period that the most candidate and doctoral theses were defended and significant funding of scientific developments was received.

According to the Ministry of Education and Culture, 50 main topics are primarily relevant [12]. Special attention (among them) is paid to research in industry innovations, technology transfer, pedagogy, interdisciplinary research, technologies for creating diagnostic systems, problems of impact on the human body, radiation of various types, air purification, technologies for improving product quality, obtaining new substances in chemical production, hardware solutions in industry, IT, etc. In fact, this

Order covers all industries and areas that reflect the course of sustainable development, progress and energy saving. For example, in 2019 alone, the state provided more than 17 billion hryvnias for research and development.

However, the analysis of information in various international resources [13-15] can be attributed to a narrower spectrum of problems that are relevant for the population and popular among researchers, as follows:

Nanotechnology, the special development of which is expected after 2025;

Discipline convergence, in other words, not only interdisciplinary interaction is monitored. In automobiles, what was essentially an engineering industry is merging with areas like computers. It is also difficult to separate such sciences as chemistry and biology, medicine and physics, because computers have become the main thing in each of these branches of science. In fact, we are returning to the scientific association of various fields and interests, as it was in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The very big and the very small. We know that research at the level of atomic theories and the study of the structure of the universe are equally important for scientists.

The rise of the machines, as already reported above, computers can replace people in many fields, demonstrating not only the continuity of processes, but also a better final product and not only physical, but also intellectual.

Identity solutions. This approach is used to protect certain data, that is, identification of a person is not only based on a photo, signature, DNA, but probably based on such characteristics that our mind is not able to comprehend.

Expanding the time frame and application of Radio Frequency Identification Devices in most areas of life, which can facilitate the work of the police, search services, etc.

Climate change can certainly lead to such problems as drought, famine, and cause changes in animal populations, flora and fauna.

Ethics. The question of the ethics of certain inventions is very delicate, sometimes partly immoral. Thus, even today, the discussion of animal cloning raises a number of legal and sociomoral problems for many people.

From the point of view of technologies that will become key for business and various spheres of life, of course, it is necessary to highlight 3D printing technology, the production of different wearables, technology to healthcare, bioengineering, robotics, gene therapy, neurotechnology, etc.

However, it is necessary to clearly understand the methodology of scientific research, which differs not only by scientific fields, but by scientific schools and countries. First of all, this is the use of various material and technical capabilities of each specific scientist, but the national environment also has an influence, which gives or, on the contrary, attracts the means to implement specific ideas.

Let's consider some problems that are relevant for scientists outside of Ukraine. It has already happened that today science is a pyramid. During the last two decades, there was a period of unsustainable growth. [16] "This widening at the bottom of the pyramid has been essential to maintain the publication output of PIs at the top, who face increasing competition to secure limited government funding". So, say, in Australia, a scientist, having received a degree, despite his knowledge, becomes a potential unemployed. In addition, the main challenge for researchers today is that in many fields, science is growing rapidly in interdisciplinary. science personnel scientist

To succeed in science today means doing well at many nonresearch-related activities. The continuous fight for grant money while having numerous administrative tasks that young researchers are expected to fulfill results scientists to spend more time with paperwork than actually doing true scientific work. And it seems that a scientist, especially a young one, is busy looking for grants, and the level of scientific knowledge is assessed by the publication in which it is published, and not by real scientific achievements. One of the biggest challenges facing young scientists is the intense competition for research positions and delayed job security. "Research scientists can often only gain secure (or tenured) employment in their late 30s, which is particularly difficult for those with, or wanting to start, young families. This creates particular challenges for young women scientists. Women are also perhaps less attracted to careers, whether in science or any other profession, if they involve unrelenting pressure, competition, long working hours, and uncertainty regarding future employment" [16] A lot of disillusioned youth scientists are forced to adjust their career plans relatively late in life. In general, the reason for this is a tense competitive atmosphere and a certain disappointment in science. The ratings should not become the main indicator of professionalism.

"In 2016, responses were received from 270 scientists at all levels, representing a variety of disciplines, who overwhelmingly believed that the current pressures and incentives for career survival lead to bad science". [17] This study showed that the biggest problems of modern science, according to scientists of different fields, age and gender, are reduced to three main ones, namely: funding, low level of fundamental research and nontransparency of publications. Scientists need to publish the methods and findings more fully, and share their raw data in ways that are easily accessible and digestible for those who may want to reanalyze or replicate their findings. [18]

Regarding the specific problems of Ukraine in the field of science, according to T. Petrushina [19], they consist in the lack of qualified personnel; underdevelopment of the modern culture of scientific activity; the lack of prestige of the profession of a scientist; "poor knowledge of the English language and insufficient use of the latest information technologies".

Conclusions

Summarizing the main problems in modern science, we can say, based on the analysis, that they are similar in almost all countries. The differences between the problems in different countries lie in their % severity, but they are one and the same: funding of science, social insecurity of scientists, publishing (related to prestigious publications). Until the current culture within scientific research changes, and does so very substantially, the reproducibility of published research will remain unclear to all except the experts.

However, the problems of Ukrainian science have their peculiarities, difficulties in attracting talented young people in science due to the lack of initial conditions; "weak integration of Ukrainian science into the world"; "the role of a donor of scientific and technical potential is imposed on Ukraine from the outside" and finally "the predominance of conjectural aspects over content-scientific ones. As a matter of fact, the Strategy for the Development of Higher Education of Ukraine [20] is characterized by the established amount of revenues to the special fund based on the results of scientific and scientific and technical works under economic contracts and based on the results of the provision of scientific services per scientific and pedagogical worker at the main place of work in 2032 at least UAH 15,000 , that is, it again involves the search for grants and financing at the expense of business structures.

As for promising research, they concern, first of all, nanotechnology, the IT field, genetic research, which is aimed at overcoming global problems, such as diseases, climate change, and increasing the level of life and work safety. Therefore, the future of science is closely related to the production of different wearables, technology to healthcare, bioengineering, robotics, gene therapy, neutechtechnology and needs adequate funding to promote new ideas.

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