A book by scientist J.E. Oliver on research and discoveries with thought on how to apply his approach more broadly.
ISBN-10: 0231076207
Links to this note
-
In plate tectonics, all of the interesting effects like mountain formation, earthquakes, happen on the edge of the plates. This is also a useful analogy for any field where the more interesting work happens on the bleeding edge.
-
I remember when I first started working at Stripe I felt like the dumbest person in the room. I was amazed at how smart everyone seemed and the writing…gosh, the writing! If I wanted to be like that too, something needed to change.
-
A lecture from Richard Hamming about creativity and how to cultivate it.
-
AI Doubles Productivity of Top Researchers
A study of artificial intelligence on productivity at a materials research lab found that the bottom third of researchers saw no improvement but top researchers doubled in productivity (as measured by materials discovered, patents, and “downstream product innovation”). The top researchers used AI to offload 57% of idea generation to focus on evaluation of the most promising ones rather than chasing dead ends. This suggests AI multiplies the value of expertise rather than leveling the playing field.
-
The Downside of First-Principles Thinking
The problem with first-principles thinking is that you don’t know what you don’t know. You might end up deriving the same thing you could have read in a 101-level textbook. You might think you have a novel idea of a blockchain-powered utopia but it turns out it’s Georgism with extra steps.