21 Free Science

What is the value of science? In speculating about the success of open source/free software (OS/FS), users and advocates often suggest that it is “like science.” It has characteristics of peer review, open data subject to validation and replication, and a culture of academic freedom, credit, civility, and reputation. The point of this comparison is that these characteristics directly contribute to producing (morally or technologically) better software, just as science is improved by them. This begs the question: what exactly is the value of either endeavor—financial, personal, aesthetic, moral, or all of these? How can we specify it? This chapter investigates the value of science from the perspective of its social constitution; in particular, the importance of law, informal norms, and technology. It poses two related questions: “Is science like open source/free software?” and “Can you do science without open source/free software?”