Andrew Akbashev
@Andrew_Akbashev
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Scientist (PI). Doing fundamental research in #Materials and #Electrochemistry. Ex-PSI. Ex-Stanford. Run a Podcast (on Youtube).
Zurich, Switzerland
Joined March 2014
ANNOUNCEMENT: I am launching a resource for students, postdocs, faculty, industry researchers and science-based entrepreneurs. I want to make a bigger change. đź“Ť Key reasons are: 1. Students struggle with advisors, research, presentations, visas, internships, etc. Most have no
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“Should you go to a lab with a very busy professor at the top university or to the top mentor but at mid-level school?” My brief answer: IT DEPENDS. Some students want independence and no supervision (I was one of such students - I didn’t like when I was told what to do). Other
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“Should you use GPT for tailoring your application to someone’s lab?” My brief answer: YES. But only to make that “tailoring” stronger. You can use GPT to summarize and explore the lab’s topics and previous papers. You can use GPT to see if there is a good fit in that lab. You
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“Do you need publications to apply for a PhD?” My brief answer: NOPE. Many students are admitted without papers (I hired PhD students without papers too). The reasons are multiple and you’d better watch the episode if you want to understand why. However, still many top schools
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- Should you use GPT to build your PhD applications? - Who should write recommendation letters? - Can you apply without publications? - Should you submit if you have a low GPA? - Should you go to a highly cited professor or a top mentor? đź“Ť New Episode:
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11 papers retracted from a PhD student. Surprising? Not really. Just check the recent news: 1. The rector of a Spanish university ran a citation-inflation scheme. He was one of Spain’s most-cited academics. Springer Nature retracted 75 papers linked to him in 2024. 2.
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Dear professors: 1. Don’t let your students lead their projects This is dangerous. What if they become independent? What if they stop listening to you? What if their ideas succeed while yours don’t? 2. Don’t let your students attend more than one conference Because they may
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ArXiv version: https://t.co/yOdTnzJurB Original paper: https://t.co/Y0hzxMi2TJ MIT press release:
physics.mit.edu
MIT physicists confirm that, like Superman, light has two identities that are impossible to see at once. MIT physicists have performed an idealized version of one of the most famous experiments in...
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Einstein’s recoil-slit “loophole” has been finally tested. Einstein was wrong. Bohr’s complementarity wins. MIT researchers did a double-slit experiment at the atomic limit to test Einstein’s hypothesis, and found that Bohr was correct. In 1927, Einstein argued that a photon
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Dear PhD students: A great company may be worth a hundred postdoc positions. This is why it’s important to also apply for industry jobs, even if you want to do a postdoc. 1. Until you get multiple offers, don’t prematurely decide on your path. Diversify your opportunities.
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Original study: https://t.co/RMFXkPmXlA Summary article by the first author Reese Richardson:
reeserichardson.blog
Reflecting on our paper “The entities enabling scientific fraud at scale are large, resilient, and growing rapidly”
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They disregard peer review. They disregard ethics. New study in PNAS show that some editors likely cooperate with authors to publish their trashy papers: 1. Some editors handle suspicious articles far more often than chance would explain. 2. Certain authors prefer these same
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The original article: https://t.co/VzipcFQYub Nature News: https://t.co/mmFDBZya6C Science news:
science.org
The metal is depleted in brains of people with disease and can reverse memory symptoms in mice, new study shows
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❗ This is huge: A groundbreaking study connects key pieces of the Alzheimer’s puzzle and points to a potentially powerful solution. For the first time, researchers found that the reduction of Li concentration is associated with memory loss and the neurological hallmarks of
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Interestingly and importantly, more people want to see that: Preprints = Peer reviewed papers Yes, this is highly debatable. But this problem is at the heart of the entire publishing system. ❗️It is also the Achilles’ heel of the publishing business. Long ago, peer reviewing
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Article in Nature about the current state of peer review developments: https://t.co/94gid2qcMs
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Journals can’t find peer reviewers. Preprints aren’t taken seriously. Garbage papers slip through peer review. Meantime, AI is slowly taking over. Nature describes the current situation. I highly recommend reading the article. 📍 The summary (+ my comments): 1. We are facing a
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“You either fail or you are a genius.” I heard of kindergartens in the US that prepare you to pass the exams to a private elementary school, which in turn gets you prepares you for the exams to a special high school, which in turn prepares you to compete for Harvard / Stanford /
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I also do NOT recommend interviewing your advisor during your postdoc interview. First, get the offer. Second, do a separate call where you can ask the advisor all your questions. If you try to interview your advisor during the very first call (your postdoc interview), the
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Nature Career Advice that I don’t quite agree with: “Start by identifying what you want to get out of your postdoc. Do you want to get more papers? Do you want to take on a new role? Do you want teaching or grant-writing experience?” - I suggest that you should first decide -
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How to pick the right lab for a postdoc if you want to stay in academia. [based on my experience in the US and partly Europe] 1. Make a list of possible groups in advance. Meet their students & postdocs at conferences. Listen to their feedback. Get opinions from the faculty in
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