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>In which case you have to ask yourself, are you so brilliant that you’ve found an important topic that no one has considered yet, or have all the brilliant peo
by agdpf 7y ago
>In which case you have to ask yourself, are you so brilliant that you’ve found an important topic that no one has considered yet, or have all the brilliant people already figured out that topic isn’t worthy of study?
Imagine how many inventions we would have missed if all inventors had shared your mindset.
- whymauri 7y agoWhat? These are perfectly valid questions to be asking and do not inherently stop you from researching what you're working on. I know some scientists that define their research direction by asking these questions first before pursuing an idea. Many great inventions like optogenetics or expansion microscopy came from this investigative strategy. It can help keep your resources and energy in check.
- std_throwaway 7y agoBoth strategies work to some extent. Some topics need a large investment to show anything at all. Some topics show immediate results (good or bad). Should we, for example, stop all activities in fusion research because so far nobody has shown that it will work and we already invested billions?
- jedberg 7y agoI think you’ve misinterpreted what I said. I’m not suggesting everyone is a fool, quite the opposite. It’s just an important question to ask yourself.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- reallydude 7y agoThe purpose of PHDs are to move human knowledge forward. You have to do an analysis of something that, in all likelihood, nobody has done before (or not enough to be considered settled).
- nashashmi 7y agoBut then your analysis has to be challenged as well. And the challenges should be published. Success or fail. If you live in your own bubble the needle doesn't move forward.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- nashashmi 7y agoHe is not talking of a mindset. He is talking about making a reflection. If you are the only one doing the work, why is it worth doing?