Lex Fridman Podcast #209 – Luís and João Batalha: Fermat’s Library and the Art of Studying Papers
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Aug 9, 2021 Luís and João Batalha, co-founders of Fermat's Library, are on a mission to improve access to scientific papers through innovative annotations. They discuss the challenges of paywalls in academic publishing and advocate for open access to foster research collaboration. The conversation delves into the importance of storytelling in science, unexpected origins of breakthroughs, and the need for reform in academic communication. They highlight how collaborative platforms can reshape knowledge sharing and emphasize the human element in the scientific process.
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NIH Preprint Project
- In the 1960s, the NIH's preprint sharing project was canceled due to journal pressure.
- This delayed the preprint revolution in biology for decades, impacting open access to research.
Scientific Publishing System
- Scientific publishing has a bizarre system.
- Government funds research, peer review (done for free), and then buys back the published work, benefiting journals.
Reading Papers
- Remember papers are not optimized for understanding, so difficulty doesn't always mean complex material.
- Keep this in mind, especially when reading outside your comfort zone.