The most frequent argument revolves around fear of losing priority of discovery. My usual question is: Have you ever felt that one of your peer reviewed papers is not cited and given credit when it should have been?
Opinions
What impedes substantive progress?
It is widely discussed, most prominently by Alberts et al., that the current academic culture is increasingly suppressing the creativity, risk-taking, and original thinking required to make fundamental discoveries. A similar sentiment reverberates in this article by Peter Thiel, Technology Stalled in 1970, on the incremental developments of technologies by entrepreneurs, traditionally associated with bold, … Continue reading What impedes substantive progress?
Can mere hype succeed in the long-term ?
Michael I. Jordan, one of the most prominent statisticians of our time, warns that "The overeager adoption of big data is likely to result in catastrophes...". This comment raises a question: If much of the enthusiasm for big data is indeed mere hype, is the big data movement likely to deliver results in the long--term? I … Continue reading Can mere hype succeed in the long-term ?
Tell me about the science, not the prizes!
One might introduce Egas Moniz as the great Nobel laureate and Dmitri Mendeleev as a chemist with few great awards. Much more informatively, however, one should introduce Egas Moniz as an influential protagonist of lobotomy and Dmitri Mendeleev as the co-inventor of the periodic table of elements.
The Best Projects Are Least Obvious
We are fortunate to live in an exciting time. Today, new technologies enable the design and execution of straightforward experiments, many of which were not possible just a few years ago. These experiments hold the potential to bring new discoveries and to improve medical care. An abundance of obvious-next-step experiments creates a buzz of activities … Continue reading The Best Projects Are Least Obvious
The mission of MIT
I still remember very clearly the key reason behind my decision to attend MIT about a decade ago. It was a statement that set MIT apart from the other top schools. On one of the MIT webpages, I read that an MIT education is a calling about understanding nature and not about building a career. … Continue reading The mission of MIT
Slavov Lab Blog 