Last week, I settled into a cinema seat to watch "Oppenheimer," the last masterpiece by Christopher Nolan. Walking out three hours later, the movie stuck with me, just like a catchy tune you can't shake...
5 books on writing every scientist should read
Writing is a craft that every scientist must learn. And what better way to learn a skill than from a good book? In this post, I list five reference books on writing, my favorite books...
Light Exposure for Focus
When it comes to boosting our mental game, there is a secret weapon hiding in plain sight: Light. Yes, you read it correctly, good old-fashioned light. It’s not magic or voodoo science – it’s a...
Mixups Unmixed: Do you use “utilize” correctly?
Gling gling! Here it is: your monthly vocabulary quiz. I have decided to launch a series of posts entitled "Mixups unmixed." Each month, I'll present you with five pairs of words that scientists tend to...
How to structure the discussion of your scientific paper
The discussion of a scientific paper is the resolution of its story: Everything comes together to shed light on the question that motivated the research. A well-written discussion leaves the reader inspired and satisfied—a noble...
First-person pronouns in scientific articles
Scientists fall into two camps: those who love reading scientific papers and those who hate them. I definitely belong to the second group. The second I try to read a scientific article, my eyelids get...