Holmium

I'm currently enjoying The Elements, an amazing book that profiles the entire periodic table. I was surprised to read about Holmium which is used to concentrate fMRI magnetic fields. I have done research with fMRI for years and never heard of it.

It made think me about the amount of time fMRI researchers focus on the technical minutia of fMRI (e.g., Larmor precession). Those technical aspects are only tangentially related to creating meaningful research. Understanding Holmium and Larmor precession doesn't directly contribute to better research. Just as I leave Holmium to the magnet makers, researchers should leave pulse sequences to the physicists and technicians.

fMRI researchers should spend their time asking better questions, collecting and analyzing the best data, and effectively communicating the results.