Month: August 2023

Book pages flipping against a blue background

Book Review: A Memoir Highlighting Scientific Complexity

In this brief, crisply written memoir, “In a Flight of Starlings: The Wonders of Complex Systems,” Parisi takes the reader on a journey through his scientific life in the realm of complex, disordered systems, from fundamental particles to migratory birds. He argues that science’s struggle to understand and master the universe’s complexity, and especially to communicate it to an ever-more skeptical public, holds the key to humanity’s future well-being.

4 weeks ago
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Photo: field of sunflowers.

Entrepreneurship for a Cause

Traditional schools and education systems are designed like industrial conveyer belts tasked with churning out as identical produce as possible, one cohort at a time. But education doesn’t have to be this way.

4 weeks ago
460
Image: Blurry close-up of a DJ scratching a record at a turntable.

Fifty Years of Hip Hop: Celebrating a Cultural Phenomenon

For over fifty years, this African American art form has adapted and evolved to new sounds, new artists, and new influences. At its heart, hip hop remains a form of self-expression and social justice, encouraging listeners to both “Bring the Noise” and “Fight the Power.”

4 weeks ago
466
A finger pointing at a network of people.

Maintaining Anonymity In Double-Blind Peer Review During The Age of Artificial Intelligence

The double-blind review process, adopted by many publishers and funding agencies, plays a vital role in maintaining fairness and unbiasedness by concealing the identities of authors and reviewers. However, in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, a pressing question arises: can an author’s identity be deduced even from an anonymized paper (in cases where the authors do not advertise their submitted article on social media)?

1 month ago
597
A stack of books.

Designing Research For Impact

Recent experiences have not been very positive. The vast majority of proposals seem to conflate impact with research dissemination (a heroic leap of faith – changing the world one seminar at a time), or to outsource impact to partners such as NGOs and thinktanks.

1 month ago
525