Condensed concepts

 Every day we encounter a diversity of materials: liquids, glass, ceramics, metals, crystals, magnets, plastics, semiconductors, foams, … Th...

How do you define a distinct scientific discipline? Should it be defined in terms of the subject of study, methods used, concepts, goals, hi...

One of the most basic skills needed to succeed, or even survive, in professional life is to be able to write well. This is true whether you ...

What do condensed matter physicists study? High school students are often taught there are three states of matter: solids, liquids, and ga...

There is an excellent editorial in the journal Langmuir Writing Theory and Modeling Papers for Langmuir: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly H...

This past semester I have been supervising two undergraduate research projects. One student is doing a one semester course (1/4 of the stude...

I am very disturbed at how I encounter people, particularly young people, who work ridiculously long hours. Furthermore, it worries me that ...

This past semester I taught part of two undergraduate courses: thermodynamics for second year, and solid state physics for fourth years. I w...

Previously I posted about learning how to critically read experimental papers.  A theory paper may claim "We can understand property...

Previously, I highlighted the important but basic skill of being skeptical.  Here I expand on the idea. An experimental paper may make a c...

Yesterday I heard Carl Wieman give a talk at UQ, Taking a scientific approach to science education.  I hope I will say more about it later....

Basically, look at the figures. The amount of literature we might read is increasing exponentially. It is overwhelming. We all need some s...

In trying to turn research into an actual journal publication there are several stages at which the process can stall or be significantly de...

Feynman said "The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool." Walter Kauzmann e...

Carl Caves has a helpful two pager, tips for solving physics homework problems . It nicely emphasises the importance of drawing a clear diag...

Any worthwhile scientific project will be large, challenging, and ambitious. Even a small project, particularly for a beginner, can be intim...

One of the quickest ways to learn about a research field is to talk to others working in the area. Trying to learn the fundamentals [key que...

Earlier I posted about a basic skill: take initiative! Don't wait for someone else to tell you what to do. Try stuff. It is exciting w...

Some basic research skills that I feel are important may be increasingly neglected in the training of students. I fear this neglect is partl...