We are finally starting!

This is it, I can’t believe I am finally starting this! Welcome to “Set Physics to Stun”, my blog on physics, scientific management, and other topics relevant for readers interested in intellectual discourse.

My goal is to promote better practices in scientific environments in general, improving inclusiveness, helping all the scientific community be better to itself to enjoy a more balanced journey of discovery. For that, big topics for me include how to make science more socially connected, the better steering of scientific funds, and determining effective processes for the dreaded subjects of management and leadership among scientists. I believe these topics matter because the privilege to engage in curious inquiry does not happen in vacuum.

Now, here is my plan. I love physics and through my scientific career I came to realize that, to achieve the research performance expected for academic jobs, many physicists are often pushed to specialize early on in the technical aspects of their work. This is a platform to counter-balance that. I hope to use this vehicle to bring to surface deep, beautiful, topics in basic - or not so basic - physics that I believe can help broaden the view of researchers in all stages of their careers. In my view, science is a human endeavour and thus social. By broadening awareness on these different subjects, I hope professional researchers will be able to improve how they communicate with general audiences from plural backgrounds and cross pollinate with other fields of inquiry. Similarly, I am hoping these topics will help my non-technical readers appreciate some of the subtleties that are often deeply rooted with the pleasant aesthetics of physical phenomena.

But wait, there is more! Throughout my professional life, I have come across many academics who struggle with the managerial aspects of their jobs, with funding programs that are not set for success, and with connecting broader society. IImproving this reality is crucial for the responsible allocation of (typically public) funds and preventing denialism. For creating more meaningful funding streams and less inertial organizations. So, I also intend to use this space as a forum to discuss some ideas and experiences I have on scientific management and leadership. I want to promote a socially-connected scientific entrepreneurial spirit among my fellow scientists and reassure the general public that yes, we think about them. We are not just self-perpetuating the status quo.

This blog has been long in the making; I probably came up with the Star Trek pun for its name about 4 years ago. But now this is finally happening! If you share my passion for these topics, and my vision to how address them, stick around! Read and comment (when I succeed at enabling the feature! Meanwhile, feel free to reach out on LinkedIn). This is a safe and open space, and all are welcome!

• 2024 7