Let's get our priorities straight

摘要: Periodically, I like to amuse myself by making little lists. The Christmas holidays sometimes remind me of one started as a boy, back in Washington, D.C. It's list dividing the presents receive into categories based on my reactions them. top category contains 'things never would have asked for but now wouldn't give up if life depended it'. High this is copy Complete Sherlock Holmes, an omnibus edition all Conan Doyle's stories about greatest detective time. My Aunt Ethel gave that book when was nine. had heard Holmes or Dr. Watson 221B Baker Street before morning. settled down with favorite living room chair afternoon and didn't budge three days. mother even brought meals there, wasn't really house. magic country mind, where fog rolls off Thames game afoot it forever 1885. still own book. shelf flanked Koufax, autobiography great baseball pitcher, autographed Lord Rings J.R.R. Tolkien, whom knew during student days at Oxford. They fall same surprise delights. These are books first save from fire. Another wanted am glad got'. bicycle head list. cars, can say without boasting driven, owned, some truly exciting automobiles, none them meant much bike. It carpet freed boundaries yard, lifetime wanderlust. chemistry set somewhere too, every dog cat ever had, plus personal computer (a Mac, course). bought last gift myself, must admire taste. Category consists wish hadn't'. This seems lot more adult items, which may mean judgment has gotten shakier age. For example, another African-American judge US Supreme Court - replace Thurgood Marshall, justice human being. got Clarence Thomas. (I forgot specify such additional qualities intelligence compassion.) new direction structural biology field matured. Structural Genomics. want be downhill.) Several ex-girlfriends list, good manners not mention fear prevents naming names. But discuss here isn't any these. gets blood boiling time think it: part anyway'. George W Bush. Reality TV. war Iraq. Male pattern baldness. And course, supplementary material. I hate material. worst ideas history bad ideas. scientific publishing equivalent fighting land Asia. Oh, understand publishers love because shortening papers allows publish articles per issue lower cost, it. lots reasons. First, despise name. Supplementary implies something extra. A dietary supplement added normal intake food. But material paper extra; it's just stuff editors made author take out body article reduce number printed pages. Or authors don't you look too closely. point is, extra, deemed less important, credits end movie go so fast they're Doppler-shifted. accurate term 'inferior material' least that's how treated. Second, nobody reads When downloaded paper, read it? hard enough find download, print actual papers; dealing S&M, call it, adds several extra steps. Much literature rarely anyway, S&M whatever they keep basement British Museum: only few people get see sort wonder them. But main reason sends exactly wrong message our priorities. What typically put S&M? details experimental methods often, especially genomics, tables figures containing primary data. summary cartoons models students postdocs most often need section treated afterthought. does young scientists value careful creative design, controls, importance sure anyone repeat what you've done? If journals emphasizing eye-catching, pithy expense substantive, doesn't imply priority sell your work? Doesn't elevate conclusions, colored assumptions self-interest, ahead observations? thing we going us, insistence letting nature speak relegated supplement, then what's fundamental? background? conclusions? Only those portions results choose display prominently? I genomics experiments particular produce reams I've seen microarray genome sequencing fill issues journals. There's no cost-effective way amount published document short I'm insisting try. Some archive (usually web-based) necessary projects. consideration certainly apply methods. How data were obtained should paper. tendency marginalize threatening turn Nature Science glorified press releases. I always thought important supposed obtained. Everything else window-dressing, filtered through lens subjectivity. background, discussion these somebody's opinions. been done carefully analyzed thoroughly, facts trusted. They're understand. who right tell means, their opinions useful, also decide myself. Yes, do dig material, shouldn't dig. priorities straight, centerpiece. modern era, there's there. All online versions period. download relevant information place. insist shorter documents, leaving (it version)? That send clear matters science. For me, Material charm safari jacket someone insisted buying 1970s. (The American philosopher Thoreau said man seem step his fellows, perhaps he hears different drummer. In case, apparently listening jungle drums.) everybody contributed items list: did ask this. Please back.