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...
The courage to write ugly first drafts
In the odyssey of scientific writing, writing the first draft of a paper can be a tormented journey. In this post, I'd like to propose the idea of writing "ugly" first drafts. Precisely, you will discover...
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...
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...
Procrastination, fear of failure, and perfectionism
Procrastination is the act of putting off until tomorrow what should be done today. 80 to 95 percent of university students regularly procrastinate, and almost half of graduate students report that they always or almost...
Chat GPT for scientific writing: Supercharge your writing with AI
Imagine having a writing buddy that never complains, never gets tired, and never demands a coffee break! You've probably heard about it already (unless you live under a rock) - the revolutionary new AI chatbot...