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Category Archives: Creativity
Why vacations matter for work excellence
Everyone says that vacations refresh. But what do they mean by that? Are vacations just good for the person and the spirit or do they actually improve work? Here, I’ll discuss one point for the latter. It may even apply … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, efficiency, Travel, Uncategorized, Vacations
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Improv for scientific communication with Aniek Ivens
How I wish I understood you, but I have no idea what you are talking about. You seem friendly and animated and clearly love your research, but what is your question? Why do you like this figure so much? What … Continue reading
Posted in Communication, Creativity, Science writing for the public, Scientific meetings, Talks
Tagged improv, outreach, science communication, talks
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Do you have time for recess?
Usually I read a novel, or listen to a book on tape or music on a flight. I listened to a bit of German for fun today, flying again to Washington D. C.. The flight is a bit long so … Continue reading
Why is your lab group so separate from your department?
Few things in research are more exciting than watching ideas build as one person augments the thinking of another. Each can arrive at a place unanticipated and impossible from lone thinking. I feel almost euphoric when this happens. It may … Continue reading
Posted in Collaboration, Creativity, New ideas, Scientific community
Tagged collaboration, creativity, innovation, isolation, new ideas
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Can you do an ideas sandbox in 90 minutes?
I’m going to the BEACON: Evolution in Action meeting at Michigan State University next month. They asked me to run a sandbox in 90 minutes, giving me flexibility on the topic. Below is my plan. Who knows what we can … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, Teaching, Workshops
Tagged creativity, innovation, new ideas, sandbox, workshop
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How to organize a fabulous small meeting
When I see a young scientist talking to one of the grizzled leaders of the field at a meeting I have organized, I hope that the new scientist will discover something valuable from her elder. Likewise, I hope the … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, Mentoring, Posters, Presentations and seminars, Scientific meetings
Tagged communication, creative interactions, fun, meetings, posters
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You are not reading enough! Take a hierarchical approach
I hope by now you have subscribed to a bunch of topics using Google Scholar, including any citations to your own work. This will keep you informed on topics closest to you, even if you don’t read the papers through. … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, Managing an academic career, New ideas, Scholarship
Tagged abstracts, Journals, new ideas, Reading, table of contents
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How to transform research in your field – does Rockefeller University have the answer?
Imagine you have a decade or so to transform research in your field. What would you do? Would you stop doing whatever you are doing to do things differently? What is a transformation anyway? I am thinking about this because … Continue reading
Science is problem solving: two crucial first steps
I have an extremely intelligent friend with a Ph.D. in something really fancy who raised his kids with a great deal of freedom. I’m sure he did this for a number of reasons, but one that he articulated early on … Continue reading
NSF Preproposals – a failed idea at DEB and IOS?
Preproposals came to DEB and IOS about three years ago to solve the problem of too many proposals and too few willing reviewers. They were also thought to solve the problem of too much investigator time wasted on writing unfunded … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, Grant proposals, Grants, New ideas, NSF
Tagged DEB, grant, IOS, methods, NSF, preproposal
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Sociobiology 