5 Questions: Rehaan Ahmad: alphaXiv Wants to be Science's Public Square

There is an inherent tension in the dissemination of research: Science thrives on openness and communication, but ensuring high-quality scientific work requires lengthy and closed peer reviews. In 1991, physicist Paul Ginsparg created the arXiv repository to alleviate some of that tension. Researchers would have a place to upload their preprint manuscripts before they're published in a journal. The preprints are free to all but have not undergone peer review (though there is some screening).