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Ardem Patapoutian: My rules on how to do Science
Jan 21, 2024, 14:07

Ardem Patapoutian: My rules on how to do Science

Ardem Patapoutian, molecular biologist, neuroscientist, and Nobel Prize laureate, shared on X:

“I wrote down my rules on how to do science. I hope you find it useful!

Here are my top 13 rules on how to do science (why should it be only 10?):

  1. Don’t be too busy (Rule #1: No excuses. If you’re too busy, you’re not being creative).
  2. Learn to say no (related to #1).
  3. What question to ask: Find the biggest unanswered question that can be approached in the next 5-10 years.
  4. Science communication: When you talk about your work, always start by stating what the important open question is (this is fundamental, but very few do it; related to #3).
  5. Prioritize: Know when to quit a project (as important as coming up with new ideas).
  6. Change fields when the open questions are no longer interesting: Being from a different field allows you to look at problems with a fresh perspective.
  7. Ask for help – don’t reinvent the wheel.
  8. Don’t listen to advice if it doesn’t make sense to you (this does not contradict #7).
  9. Hire people who are smart, efficient, and kind (don’t forget about “kind”).
  10. Champion the underprivileged.
  11. Collaborate with people with very different training and experience.
  12. Cultivate friends who tell you when you are wrong.
  13. Don’t forget why you got into this business in the first place: Science is fun. Minimize the noise that causes anxiety.

 

Source: Ardem Patapoutian / X