As a palaeontologist, I'm constantly confronted with the question about the value of the kind of work that I do. There are areas of science that are clearly goal-directed, particularly when it comes to questions of technology and applications in day-to-day life. But my science isn't likely to affect the daily lives of most people, but it is the general population that pays for my kind of work. One of the primary defences of basic science that I have seen time and again is that we simply don't know what science needs to know. That is, basic science deals with what I call "Rumsfeld's Problem". However, I have always found that argument to be unpersuasive.
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Inspired by Cal Newport's recent Wired article, I have decided to make a return to blogging. Just over a year ago, I left all social media behind and have gotten into a kind of 'digital detox'. What has followed has probably been one of the most (if not the most) productive years of my post-PhD life. I did this without working any extra hours or any insane hours. Indeed, I have probably been much more disciplined in working 9-to-5 and 5 days a week than at any point in the past. I wanted to get back to a public medium that would let me communicate my research to the world, but avoid the short-lived, rapid-fire shots of Twitter or the attention-sapping drain of Facebook.
I think it will be fun and hopefully useful to discuss how I improved my working life (and my mental health!). Along the way, I hope to share stories and insights about the research in my lab. |
Martin d brazeauPalaeontologist, fieldworker, sometimes phylogenetic programmer. Transplanted Canadian in UK. All views are my own. How to pronounce my name? Rhymes with "bureau" or "chateau". He/him/his. Archives
December 2022
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