Several years ago, I moved into a house with a garden. Having always lived in apartments, I had never had a garden as an adult. I like having a garden, but I would not say that I like gardening, nor am I terribly good at it. My PhD did help…
I’ve written before about Joseph Pistone, an undercover FBI agent who tricked his way into joining the U.S. mafia in the 1970s, and how his account of the mafia reminds me of my experience of doing research. Here’s another connection betwee…
It’s hard to remember what machine learning conferences were like in person, but I think that I liked them a lot better when the field was smaller. It was easier to meet new people, to talk about new ideas in small groups of talented people…
(or: How I learned to stop worrying and love virtual conferencing.) Many computer science conferences are becoming virtual this year, due to travel restrictions. I enjoy physical conferences, so I was a bit skeptical about virtual conferenc…
I got a question the other day about how to start a career in machine learning. I gave the best answer that I could, but I’m not sure that my best was very good. Can you help? If so, join the discussion on social media (or send me a note pr…
If you’re reading this blog, then you already know about PhD Comics. If you really haven’t seen them before, click the link and read them now. They are more insightful and funnier than anything in this blog. It goes without saying, however,…
I’m a sucker for New Year’s resolutions. Every year I make up a half dozen resolutions, usually the same ones each year, and carefully track my progress for at least two or three months before I get busy and forget all about them. And in al…
A lot of scientific communication happens at poster sessions. It’s a great way to learn about the field, and to meet new people with similar research interests. It’s also a great way to be noticed in a crowded research field. Presenting a p…
The final post of a series on stress in research. A nice way to end this series would be to talk about impostor syndrome, but I’m the wrong person to write that blog, because I don’t think that I’ve ever literally felt like an impostor. My
I really should know better. Twice now, I’ve done this to myself. I was a social event with one of my PhD students, like a party during a conference, where I was introducing them to a colleague. Feeling relaxed after a beer or two, I attemp…
The fourth in a tidal wave of posts about stress in research. Here’s a source of stress for people who have gotten a bit more senior in their careers, like new professors or managers. On a previous post in the series, a colleague commented:…
Benjamin “Lefty Guns” Ruggiero was a fearsome Mafia hitman in New York in the 70s. According to an undercover FBI agent who knew him well, he was smart and savvy in underworld situations. He could walk into a restaurant where he knew no one…