Here’s a question for you: How do you describe your research? No, I’m not talking about how you would describe it in technical detail for half an hour. Instead, what if you only had five minutes to explain? And worse, what if the person asking had barely any idea about the field you’re in? Okay, I can see that you’re starting to get worried. That’s because it’s difficult! When you suddenly have to work with…

Continue reading

Here’s a question for you: How do you describe your research? No, I’m not talking about how you would describe it in technical detail for half an hour. Instead, what if you only had five minutes to explain? And worse, what if the person asking had barely any idea about the field you’re in? Okay, I can see that you’re starting to get worried. That’s because it’s difficult! When you suddenly have to work with…

Continue reading

Ask a mathematician or physicist to explain their work to you, and chances are you will hear them use the word “beautiful” at some point. This could reference an equation, a proof technique, an entire theory, or even just a nice piece of logic. They can talk to you for hours about this topic, explaining it in full detail with more enthusiasm than a lifelong sports fan. And yet, even though I’ve spent a large…

Continue reading

Ask a mathematician or physicist to explain their work to you, and chances are you will hear them use the word “beautiful” at some point. This could reference an equation, a proof technique, an entire theory, or even just a nice piece of logic. They can talk to you for hours about this topic, explaining it in full detail with more enthusiasm than a lifelong sports fan. And yet, even though I’ve spent a large…

Continue reading

When working on a project or crafting a scientific presentation, there are so many areas where you can cut corners. These can be easy to justify in the moment as aspects that the audience won’t notice. I’ve worked so hard. I deserve some slack! While that may be true to some extent, the reality is that some people will notice. This could be in the laziness required to match all of the fonts in your…

Continue reading

When working on a project or crafting a scientific presentation, there are so many areas where you can cut corners. These can be easy to justify in the moment as aspects that the audience won’t notice. I’ve worked so hard. I deserve some slack! While that may be true to some extent, the reality is that some people will notice. This could be in the laziness required to match all of the fonts in your…

Continue reading

When you’re running in a race and moving with a pack, there’s a big difference between being at the front and being just behind the leader. This might sound strange. After all, the two of you are basically moving stride for stride. Yet psychologically, it’s much easier to be following someone than it is to lead. That’s because you can “turn off” your brain while you run. You don’t have to think about keeping up…

Continue reading

When you’re running in a race and moving with a pack, there’s a big difference between being at the front and being just behind the leader. This might sound strange. After all, the two of you are basically moving stride for stride. Yet psychologically, it’s much easier to be following someone than it is to lead. That’s because you can “turn off” your brain while you run. You don’t have to think about keeping up…

Continue reading

“How was your day?” “Oh, not that great. I didn’t get a lot of work done, so it was kind of disappointing.” Be honest: How many times have you answered this question with a variation of the above answer? If you’re anything like me, the answer is a lot. When we think about our day, we jump to the work we did. If we didn’t accomplish a ton, we call that day a waste. Even…

Continue reading