Science – Page 2 – Scott J. Pearson’s Book Review

The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM

By Scott J. Pearson | July 4, 2024July 4, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

Recent research has made it clear that mentorship plays an incredibly strong role in launching careers in STEMM. However, much of education remains organized around traditional missional axes of teaching, research, and service. Mentorship plays a determining factor in all three aspects. It accelerates and perpetuates careers. The National Academies, filled with the most outstanding scholars in America, supplied this consensus statement about the research around this topic. Based on evidence, they summarize findings and…

Science Software-Technology

Quantum Computing for Everyone

By Scott J. Pearson | June 19, 2024June 19, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

Despite being around for decades, the words “quantum mechanics” still make eyes roll even in a room of educated people. Few really understand the phenomena. Among those more scientifically minded, some – thankfully fewer in number – still argue that quantum mechanics will give way someday to a more classical approach. The controversial part of quantum mechanics, which foiled even Albert Einstein, states that to measure the spin or velocity of an electron, one must…

Healthcare Science

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep & Dreams

By Scott J. Pearson | June 10, 2024June 10, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

Along with the brain, sleep remains as one of the frontiers of biomedical science. Over a century ago, Sigmund Freud attempted to explore the nature of dreams, but his first attempts seem generally off mark to modern science. Current work has much more evidence to inform it, but few have the time to learn about it. Fortunately, Matthew Walker, a research scientist (notably not a physician), presents a summary of contemporary scientific insights about sleep.…

Science Writing-Communication

Writing in the Sciences: Exploring Conventions of Scientific Discourse

By Scott J. Pearson | May 12, 2024May 12, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

Much of a career in science revolves around writing challenges. A scientist has to communicate with their colleagues through journals. They have to communicate with funding agencies through requests for proposals. Not to be forgotten, they have to communicate with the wider public. Thus, scientific writing becomes a key element of the game. Likewise, understanding the forms and conventions of scientific writing can give one a professional leg up towards enhanced status in the scientific…

Biography-Memoir Science

Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! Adventures of a Curious Character

By Scott J. Pearson | May 7, 2024May 7, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

Dick Feynman was a Nobel laureate and professor of theoretical physics at Cornell and Cal Tech. Like many accomplished people, he had a unique reputation and a magnanimous spirit. In the classroom, his students revered him for his interesting stories. This memoir, written towards the end of his life, records his reflections on his life with the same zeal that won his students’ hearts. To be frank, some of his stories tend towards the anti-feminist…

Religion-Philosophy Science

Einstein & the Poet: In Search of the Cosmic Man

By Scott J. Pearson | April 6, 2024April 6, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

Albert Einstein is one of my favorite characters in history. I fell in love with his work while a graduate student in Princeton. His ethos still pervades the town. Of course, he upended Newtonian physics with his theory of relativity. He also contributed notably to other subfields of physics. As a Jew, he stood as a counterpoint to Nazi Germany’s false contention that as non-Aryans, Jews have not contributed to modern civilization after the Bible.…

Research-Education Science Writing-Communication

How to Write & Publish a Scientific Paper

By Scott J. Pearson | March 23, 2024March 23, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

For any scientist, communication is a central part of the game. Yet most scientists did not major in English, nor did they receive great educational training about the field. Usually, they were focusing on their science. To compound matters, most graduate programs not at top research centers provide sparse resources to educate researchers. To supplement such a linguistic shortcoming, this book, laudably in its ninth edition, seeks to introduce the field to the scientific community.…

Presentation Science Writing-Communication

The Craft of Scientific Presentations: Critical Steps to Succeed & Critical Errors to Avoid

By Scott J. Pearson | September 3, 2023October 20, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Many scientists and engineers first learn to present by watching others present and mimicking these teachers. This technique helps to convey the basics, but how do collective bad habits get rooted out? Indeed, many weaknesses get passed on from mentor to mentee and from lab to lab. Instead of just floating aimlessly with the masses, those who aspire to greatness can benefit from reading critical commentary from scientific communicators like Michael Alley. This book, first…

Religion-Philosophy Research-Education Science

On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Conduct in Research

By Scott J. Pearson | July 16, 2023October 20, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Ethics in scientific research is an issue appearing periodically in the news… and often not in a good way. Perhaps some ethical lapse has led to a field’s struggles with millions of dollars worth of effort lost. Or perhaps someone falsified results and misled the public. Or governments might exploit research that was supposed to benefit humanity and redirected it to harming people. All these fall under the headline of “Responsible Conduct in Research,” more…

Healthcare History Science

The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons

By Scott J. Pearson | May 22, 2023May 22, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Research into the human brain comprises an exciting frontier of knowledge today, yet most scientific accounts can dryly bore the average reader. And frankly, a lot of scientists and doctors can benefit from reading narratives of human stories behind scientific discoveries. To fill this gap, Sam Kean chronicles in this book the many functions of the human brain – and of parts of the human brain. He teaches basic neuroscience with the noteworthy interpersonal backstories…