Advice to young scientists: E.O. Wilson on TED.com

This video rings true for me.

Even though I am trained as a computational cognitive neuroscientist, my math skills are not strong. I routinely apply linear algebra to solve problems but have flunked out of the formal class!

While training young scientists, I try to spark a curiosity for understanding the world, followed with rigorous, systematic investigation.

As I make my own transition from young scientist to young investigator, I am seeking a niche to make my a contribution. One possibility is the study of category learning via magnetoencephalography (MEG). It is a small field. There is only one other person conducting similar research (to the best of my knowledge). Despite its size, it is ripe with possibilities. The ability to study brain signals on the order of 100ms has the potential answer long-standing questions about this fundamental human capacity.

The Power (and Limit) of Networks

Metaphors matter - They shape the nature of inquiry by limiting the questions worth asking. If you choose a tree as your metaphor, you will look for simple, linear connections. If you choose a network as your metaphor, you will look for complex, but-still-linear connections.

Right now, the problems worth solving are nonlinear. We need nonlinear metaphors.

Builders & Testers

In athletic training, there are builders and there are testers. 26.2 miles is the tester for a marathon. Putting in the miles everyday is the builder.

In research, finished projects are the testers. Ideas (supported by emprical data) are put into the world. They are sometimes accepted, more often rejected.

At the begining, just completing projects builds towards better projects (i.e., testers and builders are the same). But then something more needs to happen to improve.

I am not sure what are the best builders for research. Could it be books, workshops, conferences, or having lunch with better researchers? I am trying all of them and will let you know when I find the right combination,