I was recently at a small event during which well-established faculty gave talks (over an hour a piece) to graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and junior faculty.
Every faculty member missed the opportunity to be a mentor to these young scientists (including me). They spent the entire time “down in the weeds” of their personal science. The content of talks was engaging but they missed the unique opportunity of the room.
They could have offered a peak behind the curtain. They could have shared the patterns and anti-patterns of academic research. They could have shared how they choose their research questions or their failures (everyone in science has ’em). They could have been vulnerable. Instead, they choose to be a “sage on stage” and share only their successes. If I wanted just the information, I could read their published papers.
It is the difference between screening a film and giving the rules of storytelling.
PS In contrast, E.O. Wilson’s book “Letters to a Young Scientist” is an example of remote mentorship. He was able to find the themes from his personal journey applicable to others.
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