edyong209

Ed Yong · @edyong209

15th Apr 2013 from TwitLonger

That last RT from @mkonnikova (http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/literally-psyched/2013/04/12/why-grad-schools-should-require-students-to-blog/) reminds me of a minor epiphany I had last week: That journalism has made me into a MUCH better scientist than being an actual scientist or doing a science degree ever did.

I was talking to @matthewcobb about the various reasons I flubbed my PhD (graduated with an MPhil after two years). Part of it was having the manual dexterity of a tired seal. Part of it was preferring a broad focus rather than a narrow one. But a significant chunk was not having any aptitude for designing experiments, critiquing papers, and so on. Matthew's words: "That's weird. Isn't that what you do now?"

Yes, it sort of is. And it made me think all the things I need to do my current job - the literature searches, the bullshit filters - that would all have been massively helpful when I was in science. But all of that after I left, through the journalism. Go figure.

Reply · Report Post