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Tag Archives: writing
Is there a book you want to write?
Writing a book is overwhelming to contemplate and enormously satisfying to complete. How did I find the time? First, it was a book I have been wanting to write for more than 20 years, so the time it took was … Continue reading
Do not love your writing
I paused in the piece I am writing about Ruth Park Woods, a scrap of forest only 23 acres large along a fetid creek and behind small businesses of Olive Boulevard. There was a paragraph I particularly liked but it … Continue reading
Why you need a one day writing retreat
Have you found a way to avoid the tasks that snow you under and get your important but not urgent work done? It is something that I struggle with daily. I am kind to myself and understand that some days … Continue reading
Teaching effectively and efficiently: abstract writing
Are you happy with how you teach writing? Do you have a trick? The only tricks I have are to give good examples and to have students write a lot. Beth Fisher at a Wash U writing workshop convinced me … Continue reading
Posted in Teaching, Writing
Tagged abstracts, Active learning, posters, teaching, writing
2 Comments
Thinking of starting your paper with a quote? Be careful!
It is a wonderful feeling to start a piece with a quote that means something to you. You can connect to someone famous who has said something much more clearly than you might. From there you can move on to … Continue reading
Work life balance: beware transitions
Two different people have recently made me very aware of the biological importance of transitions. One was Jeff Clune who gave an excellent talk at BEACON last month. One part was on the evolutionary origins of modularity. He finds considerable … Continue reading
Why this editor won’t be sending your paper out for further review at PNAS
As of 15 March 2015, I’m taking a 3 year stint on the editorial board of PNAS. Right now there are ten of us in the evolution section, so I’m likely to handle a lot of papers. What we do … Continue reading
Why you won’t learn to write from Steven Pinker’s The sense of style
I think Pinker is just the best. I love his writing. I love his perspective. I love the way he takes on complex and often controversial topics and finds convincing clarity. I think I’ve read all his books. So when … Continue reading
Posted in Writing
Tagged communication, Kahneman, Pinker, style, system 1, system 2, Vivian Paley, writing
1 Comment
Why you should aim for a three year Ph.D. degree
Why not get your Ph.D. in three years? Can’t you learn what is needed in this time frame? This may sound ridiculous to an American who may hardly even have identified a thesis topic by their third year. How did … Continue reading
Posted in behavioral ecology, Graduate school, Managing an academic career
Tagged critical thinking, goals, Graduate school, Ph.D., Research, writing
5 Comments
Consider a temporary stint as ecology and evolution editor at Nature
Patrick Goymer is taking a half year paternity leave at Nature and so they are looking for a replacement. Here is the announcement. I bet there are few positions that are as likely to help you learn about your field … Continue reading
Sociobiology 