Economics of Science

A metascientific field that examines the economic dimensions of scientific activity—how money flows through research systems, how funding shapes research agendas, how economic incentives influence scientific behavior, and how scientific knowledge generates economic value. The economics of science analyzes funding mechanisms (grants, contracts, institutional support), labor markets (scientists as workers, training pipelines, career structures), intellectual property regimes (patents, licensing, commercialization), and the economic impact of research (innovation, growth, productivity). It also examines how economic forces create inequalities within science—between fields, between institutions, between countries—and how these inequalities shape what gets studied and who gets to study it. The economics of science reveals that science is not just a pursuit of truth but an economic activity, embedded in markets and driven by incentives, and that understanding science requires understanding its economic logic.

Example: "His economics of science analysis showed how the shift to project-based grant funding transformed scientific practice—not just what got studied, but how scientists thought about risk, collaboration, and their own careers. When funding becomes project-based, science becomes project-shaped."

Economics of Science by Dumu The Void March 16, 2026

Theory of the Political and Economic Nature of Science

The theory that science is fundamentally shaped by political and economic forces—that what gets studied, how it's studied, who gets to study it, and what counts as knowledge are all influenced by power and money. The theory argues that science is not an ivory tower but a field of struggle, where research agendas reflect funding priorities, where methods reflect available resources, where conclusions reflect institutional interests. This doesn't mean science is false; it means science is human, situated, shaped by the conditions of its production. The Theory of the Political and Economic Nature of Science explains why some questions get answered and others ignored, why some researchers thrive and others struggle, why science is never pure.

Theory of the Political and Economic Nature of Science Example: "She'd dreamed of a pure science, untouched by politics or money. The Theory of the Political and Economic Nature of Science showed her otherwise: every grant was a choice, every publication a negotiation, every finding shaped by who paid for it. Science wasn't corrupt; it was just real—shaped by the same forces that shape everything else. The purity she'd imagined had never existed."

Theory of the Political and Economic Nature of Science by Abzugal February 21, 2026

jerb 

well known from south park
rednecks get angrry that future folk took there jobs so they yell
They took ouare jerbs!

Them future folk took ouare jerbs!

jerb by Jimberley Kim April 7, 2005

Cheeks 

An Irish phrase meaning shit, derived from ass
(Not to be confused with the literal description of one's buttocks)

"Did you hear the song Aylek$ dropped?"
"Hardly. Her music is absolute cheeks."

"My boyfriend say LaFlame is cheeks."
"Tell your boyfriend I said it's his mixtape that's cheeks."

Cheeks by thecartisan April 26, 2020

sans sheriff 

Lawless use of fonts or typography, with no regard to aesthetics or legibility

I'm putting this CV straight in the bin. Written totally sans sheriff.

sans sheriff by Jamarley July 3, 2019

Breadhead 

Someone who is addicted to obtaining money and building wealth. A money addict and fanatic. Breadheads often work more than one full-time job, and some even participate in illicit activities to "obtain the bread".

A breadhead is like a crackhead, but for money instead of crack.

Breadhead by 🅱️ U S 3 4 8 March 30, 2022

Stink lines

As seen in illustrations or cartoons: Wavy, vertical lines rising above a person, place or thing. Denotes a foul odor.

"You didn't put enough stink lines on your picture of the teacher."

Stink lines by Athene Airheart March 14, 2004