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The Ultimate Productivity Blog
I found this at the excellent Twitter site of Michael Nielsen, recommended by an MR reader. He also refers us to this interesting article on neurology and athletic performance and this piece on the surprises of mathematics.
Here is his blog and here is his blog post on the future of scientific journals. Here is Michael on the future of science.
Most of all, I like his six rules for rewriting.
Hail Michael Nielsen, who justifies Twitter all on his own.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on September 29, 2009 at 08:07 AM in Education | Permalink
Comments
Twitter involves the same dynamic seen in churches, academia, and everything. It gets the credit and reaps rewards for organizing great people.
Posted by: Andrew at Sep 29, 2009 8:45:23 AM
Michael Nielsen rightly emphasizes how much
good sentences depend on verbs, their hinge and
engine. Turning them into adjectives or adverbs
weakens them, converting them into nouns kills
them.
Posted by: Candadai Tirumalai at Sep 29, 2009 9:12:48 AM
Maybe Michael should rewrite his own article. For example, "Every sentence should grab the reader and propel them forward" is redundant. "Academics are wont to ignore this rule" needlessly uses the unusual word "wont" (why not just "academics often ignore this rule"?). "Every paragraph should contain a striking idea, originally expressed" is implausible.
"The most significant ideas should be distilled into the most potent sentences possible" has the unnecessary word "possible", which weakens it. "and if they have been distilled into a simple, memorable core" is redundant.
etc.
Perhaps you can tell that I am not a fan of "rules" for better writing.
Posted by: Andy at Sep 29, 2009 9:50:00 AM
The piece on surprises in mathematics is from Godel's Lost Letter, one of my favorite blogs. If you are at all interested in theoretical computer science and mathematics, you should subscribe.
Posted by: Vince at Sep 29, 2009 10:15:20 AM
I thought it was weird that the long long column on the future of scientific publishing did not mention PLoS One.
Posted by: Curt Fischer at Sep 29, 2009 11:35:55 AM
This is why I don't get the twitter phenomenon. What does his Twitter feed bring to the table that his blog does not? Is it the shorter descriptions with less information? The obfuscated links? The lack of actual posts? Every link in his twitter feed is in his blog, with more context and less "RT @soandso" or "#lookatag" gunk. Is there something appealing about the lack of context to people? Do you like his links, but not his writing, making you prefer to avoid his blog? I'd love to hear what advantages you find in his Twitter feed over his blog, Tyler.
Posted by: Calvin at Sep 29, 2009 12:15:51 PM
Assignment for anyone who cares to undertake it:
Compare and contrast Michael Neilsen's "Six Rules for Rewriting" with George Orwell's "Politics and the English Language."
Posted by: Donald A. Coffin at Sep 29, 2009 12:40:10 PM
I find it depressing that Mike has already stopped doing any real research. He's *writing* about the future of science. He's no longer even doing science in the present, and wont' be in the future.
Quantum computing has gone nowhere. The real question is: has it been wasting good minds, or merely occupying those who couldn't do innovative valuable work anyway?
Posted by: Allison at Sep 30, 2009 12:52:29 AM
Quantum computing has not gone "nowhere". Coherence times and qubit numbers are rising exponentially and several labs are close to putting out quantum-limited amplifiers. What more do you want?
Posted by: NE1 at Oct 2, 2009 9:08:01 PM
I thought about commenting on that "The Future of Science" blog post. It is more than a year old so I just waste your comment box space here. No offence.
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I really admire you, I really do. Now, what you have done is:
Bla bla bla...
These 1500 Pokemon reviews in Amazon.com equate all the 1000 scientific reviews in numerous places. Boy, those science types are really dense. Why can't they be like these Pokemon reviewers? It really is that easy.
Bla bla bla Einstein Zeitgeist bla bla bla...
Bla bla bla Some really easy ways to show how these scientists can be like these really cool Pokemon review guys bla bla bla...
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Posted by: Just a comment at Oct 4, 2009 3:54:36 PM
