Recently I spoke with an Italian friend about what could be a Job Description for a scientific research position. Here are the qualities that look like limitations: Be ignorant. Ability to deal with failure. Dare to be vulnerable. Yes. Contrary to the perception given...
To me, the amazing thing about the introduction of the iPod by Steve Jobs in 2001 was the expression a “1000 songs in your pocket.” This idea was truly a digital revolution. Therefore, for all those who are knowledge workers and do research recognize how –...
Reading is important, but add an image and you’ll notice the difference. Converting verbal information into visual may become one of the most powerful communications tools in scientific writing. It depends on the ability to develop a sketchnoting skill. In one heat...
Writing scientific papers from the ground up is not an easy task. At least for most of us. You have results from your surveys, experiments, numerical or physical modeling, and now you want to share the knowledge you gained through a paper. Where do you start? How do...
I’m not an expert in slideshow presentations, but when I go to a conference and experience keynote lectures hard to follow, I wonder “are they aware of the audience in front of them? Why aren’t they inspiring?” Keynote lectures are an important moment in a...
Are you proud of being a multitasking person? Studies show you shouldn’t. In fact, not only you, in fact, switch-task, but you damage your brain as well. Finally, I never thought how multitasking could influence the way we perceive the world around us. While reading a...
Whenever you’re in a scientific meeting and top researchers, ask you something. What do you feel? Vulnerable. At least most of us think that way. So I wonder if experiencing vulnerability in science is as bad as it seems. I was surprised with what I found. When I was...
It’s difficult for me to say no to people in general, and friends in particular. Most of us like to help whenever we can. But often I experience how saying yes to others is saying no to me and things that matter. But learning how to say no is a difficult task, and it...
(post updated in July, 14th, 2018) English is the mainstream language of scientific writing, and even if we evolve into new ways of expressing our results (e.g., infographics), this won’t change. Thus, any writing tools available to help non-English native speakers...
Have you ever looked at a plot and wished you could understand its point? If data is so important to support our science, plot design should be an essential part of your writing. In a Master thesis, I supervised, I helped my student with a plot (see figure above) to...
