1. Phils Rant

2. Yes, Peter, Replicability is a Word From www.m-w.com One entry found for replicable. Main Entry: rep·li·ca·ble Pronunciation: 're-pl&-k&-b&l Function: adjective : capable of replication - rep·li·ca·bil·i·ty /"re-pl&-k&-'bi-l&-tE/ nounreplication Microsoft Word/Powerpoint just does not understand it.

3. Anybody Remember Cold Fusion? 1989 – Pons and Fleischmann claimed room-temperature fusion experiments Both critics and those attempting replications were frustrated by what they said was incomplete information released by the University of Utah. With the initial reports suggesting successful duplication of their experiments there was not much public criticism, but a growing body of failed experiments started a "buzz" of its own. Pons and Fleischmann later apparently claimed that there was a "secret" to the experiment; on the other hand, Fleischmann said at a meeting in April that all the necessary details had been given in the published paper. The facts here are not clear; but if such data had been withheld, the report would have been outside the field of modern science, and scientists would have been justified in dismissing the matter out of hand.

4. Observations It seems an endemic problem in computational/computer science: –my code works for me on my machine, but not for you on your machine –You only have set a prime number of parameters in order to use this tool correctly –What do you mean when you say you dont want to read a 400 page manual just to install my code? Basically – replicability of computational experiments by others is almost never done. PRAGMA has a key role to play for routine use – should live by the following All Infrastructure software needs simple configuration, easy packaging (Rocks is only one way to do this) Applications codes need to have examples/tutorials and generally be of form that others can port and run the code in their environment