(Academic press) book pre-publication reviews are back. Really positive. YES!!!!!!!!!!!! 🎉🎉🎉.
So now I'm moving onto final revisions. It feels good to slip back into that headspace again.
My big question for anyone who has sent a book off to the world: What was your strategy for those last steps? There's addressing the feedback, of course. But after that? It will never been perfect. But it has to be great. How do you know when to let it go?
There are so many different types of researchers. Weather researchers, climate researchers, brain researchers. And within those categories, the nuances (like memory researchers).
When someone says they are an X researcher, what does that imply to you? In other words, what qualifies? Does it just imply that they are curious about X? Or perhaps that they know a bit more about it - perhaps they've mastered some scholarly literature or they've done at least one experiment? Or maybe even published a paper in a peer reviewed journal? Or maybe even more - perhaps they have a body of work on the topic; maybe they even run a lab (and have grants to support X research).
On one hand, no one should gate keep curiosity! On the other, certain terms imply knowledge and qualifications. I'm a "researcher". But just because I know a lot about memory doesn't automatically mean that people should listen to me about climate or economics. And I once read a very good book about ecosystems, but I don't think that means I should quality as an ecosystem researcher. So what, then, might instead?
@vicgrinberg I'm just saying that if you only count people who have already had a major impact in their field as researchers, you're excluding a lot of early-career researchers. Publications are hard to evaluate if they're not in your field. We all know that rubbish sometimes gets published in peer reviewed journals. In practice, we tend to look at the reputation of the institution or department that the person is working in.
On making the anticipation bifurcation collapse ...
At the final stages of pulling together a big proposal where I'm really sticking my neck out, I feel like I'm torn between two states: I can be nervous about woulda-shoulda-coulda, or I can be really happy with the delta from start to finish.
After musing for a good while on the first (Did I do everything I possibly could, given what I know?), I'm going to opt for the latter.
While it feels a bit dangerous to be hopeful and excited, I'll say it: I'M EXCITED!!!
And instead of being superstitious, I'm opting to invite the universe to join in. Hey universe: working together could be fun. Want to collaborate?!
Many know about amyloid, the gene APP and its relationship to Alzheimer's. But how many know the backstory? It all began with a letter from Carol Jennings to John Hardy .... Wonderful tribute and retelling here in @thetransmitter.
Carol's family is among those with a type of rare genetic mutation that, if inherited, determines that an individual will develop Alzheimer's with near certainty. This is only true for ~1% of all individuals with Alzheimer's (more here: https://dian.wustl.edu/). For this group, there is very little question about the science. But tragically, we still don't have a cure for them.
But what I expect you are hinting at is also true: for the 99% of other individuals with Alzheimer's, what triggers it, and the role that amyloid plays in that, is a lot less clear. In some of those individuals, genetics leads to higher risk. For others, no genetic links have been found.
I’m looking to compile a big pile of IRL books for summer beach reading.
Big fan of scifi, specfic, murder mysteries. Strong female characters = bonus points. Can’t deal with darkness. Nothing high brow or tedious. Nonfiction lover but that list is already bursting at the seams.
I also love long series - 3 body problem, wheel of time, foundation … those waves all have good memories attached.
If that brings anything to mind, please send the rec!!
Big news! A townhall will follow the #ccn2024 talk unpacked in the post below. A chance for you to chime in.
The topic of the townhall: The GrandPlan for brain & mind research. What are the challenges? And opportunities? Particularly with regard to the research arc that culminates in new treatments for brain & mental dysfunction. What do we need to know and how will we figure it out?
I’m convinced that we’ve inadvertently created a scientific culture that disproportionately dissuades high-level, big-picture thinking. How do we rectify that?
A few venues I know. Please add to this list!
We write at a high-level. Venues: perspective pieces of journals, thetransmitter.org, aeon.org, etc
@NicoleCRust In Astro, in the US there is the Decadal Survey - in Canada it’s the Long Range Plan. These are largely targeted at prioritizing telescopes for funding, however. But as a byproduct, the science is prioritized because you have to do that before figuring out which telescopes will get you there. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomy_and_Astrophysics_Decadal_Survey
Carol Jennings was an amazing woman who letters wrote letters to Alzheimer's researchers about her family. That led to the discovery of the APP gene and, in turn, the amyloid hypothesis of Alzheimer's. (Her family carries a rare form in which mutations to the APP gene cause Alzheimer's with certainty). She devoted the rest of her life to Alzheimer's advocacy. Tragically, she acquired the disorder later in life herself.
Ironically, I got to know Prof @kevinbolding here before IRL, despite the fact that his lab is on the same campus (and we might have the same boss? Dunno. Penn is a big, confusing place). In any case, we’ve now rectified that and I can attest: he’s a real person. And he’s great!
@NicoleCRust thanks! And thanks for looping me in today. I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with everyone and look forward to more. Making the walk over to CNI seminars is paying my brain big dividends.
You might hear, "Mood disorders are psychological, not biological." What does that even mean? Here I lay out not just this but five different clusters of positions around what mood and mood disorders are (along with a six that you might suspect but no one adopts).
I also asked researchers to chime in on the most effective path forward for mood research. The diversity of opinions is insightful, and telling.
In my own mind, mood is among the most challenging functions that exist. We'll need all hands (and all perspectives) on deck.
Insights from: @awaisaftab, Austin Coley, @eikofried, Steve Hyman, @amygdaloid, Lisa Monteggia, @russpoldrack, Lauren Ross, Robb Rutledge, Maryma Shanechi, Shan Siddiqi, and Eric Turkheimer
Years of dealing with a mood disorder have taught me that it's definitely biological, with no doubt in my mind about it. Mindfulness, diet, exercise & such might (only might) reduce severity, and might help manage, but it will not prevent an episode from happening.
Great podcast breaking down the rate of tech advances and what they might extrapolate to. Brilliantly described in an accessible way in terms of growth rates, phase transitions, and equilibriums. Really thoughtful.
@NicoleCRust
The painter Edvard Munch wrote in his diary:
“ I sensed a scream passing through nature; it seemed to me that I heard the scream. I painted this picture, painted the clouds as actual blood. The color shrieked. This became The Scream.”
@NicoleCRust
If you ever need a void to scream into without hurting feelings, but just to see the words exist, I can wholeheartedly recommend a pseudonymous alt. More cathartic than a journal imo. But I also respect your policy and admire your ability to stick to it ♥