Luminaries: Inspiration#2

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Staff picture: Philip White 

"Rejoice when other scientists do not believe what you know to be true. It will give you extra time to work on it in peace. When they start claiming that they have discovered it before you, look for a new project." 

"Intriguingly, I once read that although most postgraduate students who want to become academics do not become academics, those who "fail" to become academics are happiest." 

"At first, I thought open access was a wonderful idea: it would allow everyone access to the scientific literature. But now I have doubts. Electronic publishings seems to be plagued with unethical practices. Even e-journals from respected publishers appear to be operating dubious practices, such as "pyramid selling", in which someone is appointed senior editor to recruit 10 editors, to each recruit 10 more specialist editors, who are each asked to produce a special issue with 1-20 papers in their speciality. Then, BANG! The journal could have more than 1,000 papers to publish, and if the authors of every paper are billed $500 for their efforts, then this is half a million dollars for the journla coffers." 

"You must be able to land before you can fly."

Philip J. White
Professor
James Hutton Institute
Dundee, United Kingdom 

Source: 
Luminaries
March/April 2016
Volume 43, Number 2

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