Difference between revisions of "Advice"
(63 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
==Research advice== | ==Research advice== | ||
− | * [ | + | * [[HTRAP | How to read a paper]] |
− | + | ||
− | + | * [https://svr-sk818-web.cl.cam.ac.uk/keshav/wiki/images/5/5a/Value_of_weekly_reports.pdf The Value of Weekly Reports] | |
− | * | ||
− | |||
− | |||
* [[Giving and attending talks| How to give a research talk]] | * [[Giving and attending talks| How to give a research talk]] | ||
Line 14: | Line 11: | ||
* [[Evaluating a research paper]] | * [[Evaluating a research paper]] | ||
− | * [[Hints on doing research]] | + | * [[Hints on doing research]] [https://svr-sk818-web.cl.cam.ac.uk/keshav/wiki/images/e/ea/Hints_on_doing_resaearch.pdf | Powerpoint presentation] |
+ | |||
+ | ** Here is a [https://youtu.be/hpQmAlL-2p0 link] to a video presentation on "Hints on doing research" that includes how to read a paper and give a talk. | ||
* [[How to attend a research conference | Hints on attending a research conference]] | * [[How to attend a research conference | Hints on attending a research conference]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Research advice: talk at Pasargad Summer School, Teheran, August 2018. [http://svr-sk818-web.cl.cam.ac.uk/keshav/wiki/images/9/9c/ResearchAdvice.pdf PDF] [https://meetings.webex.com/collabs/meetings/playRecording?recordID=31823421&meetingInstanceID=IF03SFOMFD7LSGHU7RRJWZ9VE4-4O2 Video] | ||
==Research advice from others== | ==Research advice from others== | ||
+ | * From [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venki_Ramakrishnan Sir Venki Ramakrishnan], Nobel Laureate and former President of the Royal Society: "Have goals that are ambitious and do not be seduced by what is easy but trivial. Try to surround yourself with people at least as bright as you are, give them independence and a feeling of ownership of their work, and never be afraid to show ignorance or ask for help." | ||
* Michael Nielsen has an excellent [http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=120 essay] on the "Principles of Effective Research". | * Michael Nielsen has an excellent [http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=120 essay] on the "Principles of Effective Research". | ||
− | * William Stallings, a prolific author of widely-used textbooks in OS and networking has an excellent set of [http:// | + | * Strunk and White’s Rule 17 is superb and reads, in entirety, "Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all sentences short, or avoid all detail and treat subjects only in outline, but that every word tell."-Strunk and White, ‘’’The Elements of Style‘’’ |
+ | |||
+ | * William Stallings, a prolific author of widely-used textbooks in OS and networking has an excellent set of [http://www.computersciencestudent.com/ student resources] | ||
* Jim Kurose's [http://www-net.cs.umass.edu/kurose/talks/conext_student_keynote_final.pdf advice to students] and [http://www-net.cs.umass.edu/kurose/talks/top_10_tips_for_writing_a_paper.ppt advice on writing] | * Jim Kurose's [http://www-net.cs.umass.edu/kurose/talks/conext_student_keynote_final.pdf advice to students] and [http://www-net.cs.umass.edu/kurose/talks/top_10_tips_for_writing_a_paper.ppt advice on writing] | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Alan Smith's classic paper on the [https://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/mckinley/notes/reviewing-smith.pdf Task of the Referee] | ||
* [http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~hgs/ Henning Schulzrinne] has a [http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~hgs/etc/writing-style.html detailed web page] on writing research papers. | * [http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~hgs/ Henning Schulzrinne] has a [http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~hgs/etc/writing-style.html detailed web page] on writing research papers. | ||
− | * A tongue-in-cheek guide to [http:// | + | * A tongue-in-cheek guide to [http://eloquentscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Cormode09.pdf reviewing papers] by Graham Cormode. |
− | * [ | + | * How to [https://emeryblogger.com/2016/06/08/a-guide-for-session-chairs/ chair a session] at a conference, by [https://emeryberger.com/ Emery Berger]. |
− | * [ | + | * [https://cs.uwaterloo.ca/~brecht/thesis-hints-new.html Here] is a nice description by my colleague [http://www.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~brecht/ Tim Brecht] on writing a thesis. |
* [http://research.microsoft.com/%7Esimonpj/ Simon Peyton Jones] has an excellent [http://research.microsoft.com/%7Esimonpj/papers/giving-a-talk/giving-a-talk.htm Research Skills] site that includes sections on how to give good research talks, how to write papers, as well as pointers to some other excellent advice, including a long article on mathematical writing by [http://tex.loria.fr/typographie/mathwriting.pdf Don Knuth]. | * [http://research.microsoft.com/%7Esimonpj/ Simon Peyton Jones] has an excellent [http://research.microsoft.com/%7Esimonpj/papers/giving-a-talk/giving-a-talk.htm Research Skills] site that includes sections on how to give good research talks, how to write papers, as well as pointers to some other excellent advice, including a long article on mathematical writing by [http://tex.loria.fr/typographie/mathwriting.pdf Don Knuth]. | ||
Line 44: | Line 50: | ||
* In memory of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Backus John Backus], a quote from him: "You need the willingness to fail all the time. You have to generate many ideas and then you have to work very hard only to discover that they don't work. And you keep doing that over and over until you find one that does work." | * In memory of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Backus John Backus], a quote from him: "You need the willingness to fail all the time. You have to generate many ideas and then you have to work very hard only to discover that they don't work. And you keep doing that over and over until you find one that does work." | ||
− | * Thoughts on the [ | + | * From Prof. [https://www.acm.org/articles/people-of-acm/2018/deborah-estrin Deborah Estrin]: "Question: What advice would you offer a younger colleague just starting out in the field? Answer: George Bekey was the Department of Computer Science chair at University of Southern California and hired me straight out of graduate school. His advice is what I give others who want to work at the boundary or intersection of disciplines: namely, that you should keep one foot firmly grounded within a discipline and explore with the other. I can see him standing and tapping around with his leg as if it was yesterday...but it was 1986! I would also add to that the recommendation to do things that you deeply believe to be important and significant, not just expedient, while still being pragmatic in their pursuit." |
+ | |||
+ | * Thoughts on the [https://www.eeob.iastate.edu/classes/EEOB-590A/marshcourse/V.5/V.5a%20What%20Is%20Education%20For.htm purpose of education] by David Orr. | ||
==Do you really want to do a Ph.D. ?== | ==Do you really want to do a Ph.D. ?== | ||
Line 56: | Line 64: | ||
* So does [http://www.cs.unc.edu/~azuma/hitch4.html Ron Azuma] | * So does [http://www.cs.unc.edu/~azuma/hitch4.html Ron Azuma] | ||
− | * | + | * [http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~harchol/gradschooltalk.pdf Applying to Ph.D. Programs in Computer Science], a comprehensive document by [http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~harchol/ Prof. Mor Harchol-Balter]. |
==Advice on other matters== | ==Advice on other matters== | ||
* So, you want to do a startup? Read [http://rondam.blogspot.com/2006/10/top-ten-geek-business-myths.html this] first! | * So, you want to do a startup? Read [http://rondam.blogspot.com/2006/10/top-ten-geek-business-myths.html this] first! | ||
− | * Here is some advice on "[[How to hold a meeting]]" that I wrote when I was at my company | + | * Here is some advice on "[[How to hold a meeting]]" that I wrote when I was at my company. |
− | * | + | * [https://www.notion.so/natocam/Advice-for-North-Americans-moving-to-Cambridge-7eb44559c580430ebf257e537e9a0027 Newcomer’s guide to Cambridge] |
==Parables== | ==Parables== | ||
− | Inspired by the class I took with [http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~pattrsn/ Prof. David Patterson] in 1987, I always teach my classes in 20-minute chunks, with breaks in between. For the last several years, I have been doing a roll-call in the first break, which helps me learn students' names, and in the second break, I either juggle or tell a story. Many students tell me that they remember the stories better than the technical material, and asked me to put them on my site. So, here are some of the parables. | + | Inspired by the class I took with [http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~pattrsn/ Prof. David Patterson] in 1987, I always teach my classes in 20-minute chunks, with breaks in between. For the last several years, I have been doing a roll-call in the first break, which helps me learn students' names, and in the second break, I either juggle or tell a story. Many students tell me that they remember the stories better than the technical material, and asked me to put them on my site. So, here are some of the parables. I heard many of them from my grandfather, S. Rangaswmi, who instructed by parables. |
* The Lion and the Rabbit: two [http://www.cs.hmc.edu/~fleck/parable.html parables for graduate students]. Both, alas, very true! | * The Lion and the Rabbit: two [http://www.cs.hmc.edu/~fleck/parable.html parables for graduate students]. Both, alas, very true! | ||
Line 83: | Line 91: | ||
* [[The cow]] | * [[The cow]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[The two parrots]] | ||
* [[ The king and the monkey]] | * [[ The king and the monkey]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[The three thieves]] | ||
* [[How to gain enlightenment]] | * [[How to gain enlightenment]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory_of_the_long_spoons The allegory of the long spoons] | ||
==Life advice== | ==Life advice== | ||
Here is some advice on life and living that I have collected | Here is some advice on life and living that I have collected | ||
− | over the years. As you read, remember that [ | + | over the years. As you read, remember that [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swami_Vivekananda Swami Vivekanada] [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Complete_Works_of_Swami_Vivekananda/Volume_1/Raja-Yoga/Introductory said], |
"If you want to become an astronomer and sit down and cry "Astronomy! Astronomy!" it will never come to you.". | "If you want to become an astronomer and sit down and cry "Astronomy! Astronomy!" it will never come to you.". | ||
Or as my favorite | Or as my favorite | ||
− | [ | + | [https://blog.practicalsanskrit.com/2010/02/no-substitute-for-hard-work.html Sanskrit aphorism] |
goes "Deeds are accomplished by effort alone. Deer do not enter the mouth of the sleeping lion". | goes "Deeds are accomplished by effort alone. Deer do not enter the mouth of the sleeping lion". | ||
So, just reading these rules will not help you. | So, just reading these rules will not help you. | ||
You have to live them. That is the hard part. | You have to live them. That is the hard part. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Advice from [https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/oct/25/einstein-note-about-happiness-of-a-modest-life-sells-for-15m Einstein]=== | ||
+ | “A quiet and modest life brings more joy than a pursuit of success bound with constant unrest.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Advice from Anna Quindlan=== | ||
+ | [[Get a life. A real life, ...]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | "... Learn to be happy. And think of life as a terminal illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived ..." | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Advice from [https://www.thirukkural.net/en/kural/adhigaram-035.html Thirukkural]=== | ||
+ | yātaṉiṉ yātaṉiṉ nīṅkiyāṉ nōtal | ||
+ | ataṉiṉ ataṉiṉ ilaṉ. (Transliteration) | ||
+ | |||
+ | 'Whatever thing of whatever kind' a man relinquishes, Suffering therefrom he has none. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Essence of Buddhism by [https://www.buddhascabin.com/about Vaddhaka Linn] in “Does Self-Help Help?”=== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Actions conditioned by greed, hatred, and delusion bring a heavy burden of suffering. On the other hand, actions conditioned by generosity, lovingkindness, and wisdom lead to a light and happy sense of well-being. Simple as that. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Advice from [https://www.boloji.com/doha-details/3/kaal-kare-so-aaj-kar Kabir]=== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kaal Kare So Aaj Kar, Aaj Kare So Ab || | ||
+ | Pal Mein Pralaya Hoyegi, Bahuri Karoge Kub | ||
+ | |||
+ | Do tomorrow's work today, and today's work now || | ||
+ | The world may end this moment, when will you complete? | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Advice from my uncle S.V. Nathan=== | ||
+ | Happiness = Achievement - Expectation | ||
===The only things you need to know in life=== | ===The only things you need to know in life=== | ||
− | From my former Tai Chi instructor, [ | + | From my former Tai Chi instructor, [https://mediax.stanford.edu/about/martin-lee/ Martin Lee] I learned that you only need to know four things: |
*Relax | *Relax | ||
*Breathe | *Breathe | ||
Line 119: | Line 162: | ||
===What to do when you don't know anything=== | ===What to do when you don't know anything=== | ||
− | In research, | + | In research, as in life, I am often lost. Here are three rules I have found useful in doing anything new: |
*Start simple | *Start simple | ||
*Learn as you go | *Learn as you go | ||
*Prepare to change | *Prepare to change | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==Crazy Wisdom== | ||
+ | These should explode your mind! | ||
+ | |||
+ | * If you are a lifelong learner, you will know the most the minute you die. | ||
+ | * The trees around you are built, in part, from the breath you exhale. | ||
+ | * The atoms that constitute you were part of the Big Bang. | ||
+ | * The goal of research is to increase ignorance: if you discover something new, then, by definition, no one else knows it, so you just increased their ignorance. | ||
+ | * You are not the same person you were when you started reading this sentence. | ||
+ | * You see light from stars years after it was emitted, and the light from objects in your immediate surroundings nanoseconds after. But in either case, you only see the past, not the present. When you think about it, the present is an illusion. | ||
+ | * A daily miracle: the water you sip was "not you" a second before you drank it and became "you" the second you did. | ||
+ | * Professors are neurosurgeons: they restructure their students' brains by changing the weights in wetware neural networks. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Clarity and wisdom=== | ||
+ | * Clarity is seeing the beginning in the beginning and the end in the end | ||
+ | * Wisdom is seeing the beginning in the end and the end in the beginning | ||
+ | * Equanimity is to accept both insights |
Latest revision as of 11:41, 5 November 2024
Contents
Research advice
- Here is a link to a video presentation on "Hints on doing research" that includes how to read a paper and give a talk.
Research advice from others
- From Sir Venki Ramakrishnan, Nobel Laureate and former President of the Royal Society: "Have goals that are ambitious and do not be seduced by what is easy but trivial. Try to surround yourself with people at least as bright as you are, give them independence and a feeling of ownership of their work, and never be afraid to show ignorance or ask for help."
- Michael Nielsen has an excellent essay on the "Principles of Effective Research".
- Strunk and White’s Rule 17 is superb and reads, in entirety, "Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all sentences short, or avoid all detail and treat subjects only in outline, but that every word tell."-Strunk and White, ‘’’The Elements of Style‘’’
- William Stallings, a prolific author of widely-used textbooks in OS and networking has an excellent set of student resources
- Jim Kurose's advice to students and advice on writing
- Alan Smith's classic paper on the Task of the Referee
- Henning Schulzrinne has a detailed web page on writing research papers.
- A tongue-in-cheek guide to reviewing papers by Graham Cormode.
- How to chair a session at a conference, by Emery Berger.
- Here is a nice description by my colleague Tim Brecht on writing a thesis.
- Simon Peyton Jones has an excellent Research Skills site that includes sections on how to give good research talks, how to write papers, as well as pointers to some other excellent advice, including a long article on mathematical writing by Don Knuth.
- Here is a brilliant article on what is important when doing research by Nobel Laureate John C. Polanyi. An excerpt: "Scientists do not go to meetings to applaud one another's ideas, but to tear them apart."
- "Thus the duty of the man who investigates the writings of scientists, if learning the truth is his goal, is to make himself an enemy of all that he reads, and, applying his mind to the core and margins of its content, attack it from every side. He should also suspect himself as he performs his critical examination of it, so that he may avoid falling into either prejudice or leniency." Ibn Al-Haytham circa 1000 AD.
- Here is a speech by Richard Hamming on his perspective on research. It's well worth reading. An excerpt: "Great scientists tolerate ambiguity very well. They believe the theory enough to go ahead; they doubt it enough to notice the errors and faults so they can step forward and create the new replacement theory. If you believe too much you'll never notice the flaws; if you doubt too much you won't get started. It requires a lovely balance."
- In memory of John Backus, a quote from him: "You need the willingness to fail all the time. You have to generate many ideas and then you have to work very hard only to discover that they don't work. And you keep doing that over and over until you find one that does work."
- From Prof. Deborah Estrin: "Question: What advice would you offer a younger colleague just starting out in the field? Answer: George Bekey was the Department of Computer Science chair at University of Southern California and hired me straight out of graduate school. His advice is what I give others who want to work at the boundary or intersection of disciplines: namely, that you should keep one foot firmly grounded within a discipline and explore with the other. I can see him standing and tapping around with his leg as if it was yesterday...but it was 1986! I would also add to that the recommendation to do things that you deeply believe to be important and significant, not just expedient, while still being pragmatic in their pursuit."
- Thoughts on the purpose of education by David Orr.
Do you really want to do a Ph.D. ?
- It's like bungee-cord jumping!
- And probably not even worth it, according to the Economist
- Mihir Bellare at UC San Diego has some excellent advice (though not as colorful).
- So does Ron Azuma
- Applying to Ph.D. Programs in Computer Science, a comprehensive document by Prof. Mor Harchol-Balter.
Advice on other matters
- So, you want to do a startup? Read this first!
- Here is some advice on "How to hold a meeting" that I wrote when I was at my company.
Parables
Inspired by the class I took with Prof. David Patterson in 1987, I always teach my classes in 20-minute chunks, with breaks in between. For the last several years, I have been doing a roll-call in the first break, which helps me learn students' names, and in the second break, I either juggle or tell a story. Many students tell me that they remember the stories better than the technical material, and asked me to put them on my site. So, here are some of the parables. I heard many of them from my grandfather, S. Rangaswmi, who instructed by parables.
- The Lion and the Rabbit: two parables for graduate students. Both, alas, very true!
Life advice
Here is some advice on life and living that I have collected over the years. As you read, remember that Swami Vivekanada said, "If you want to become an astronomer and sit down and cry "Astronomy! Astronomy!" it will never come to you.". Or as my favorite Sanskrit aphorism goes "Deeds are accomplished by effort alone. Deer do not enter the mouth of the sleeping lion".
So, just reading these rules will not help you. You have to live them. That is the hard part.
Advice from Einstein
“A quiet and modest life brings more joy than a pursuit of success bound with constant unrest.”
Advice from Anna Quindlan
"... Learn to be happy. And think of life as a terminal illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived ..."
Advice from Thirukkural
yātaṉiṉ yātaṉiṉ nīṅkiyāṉ nōtal ataṉiṉ ataṉiṉ ilaṉ. (Transliteration)
'Whatever thing of whatever kind' a man relinquishes, Suffering therefrom he has none.
Essence of Buddhism by Vaddhaka Linn in “Does Self-Help Help?”
Actions conditioned by greed, hatred, and delusion bring a heavy burden of suffering. On the other hand, actions conditioned by generosity, lovingkindness, and wisdom lead to a light and happy sense of well-being. Simple as that.
Advice from Kabir
Kaal Kare So Aaj Kar, Aaj Kare So Ab || Pal Mein Pralaya Hoyegi, Bahuri Karoge Kub
Do tomorrow's work today, and today's work now || The world may end this moment, when will you complete?
Advice from my uncle S.V. Nathan
Happiness = Achievement - Expectation
The only things you need to know in life
From my former Tai Chi instructor, Martin Lee I learned that you only need to know four things:
- Relax
- Breathe
- Feel the Earth
- Do nothing extra
I read an article about a very successful life coach (I forget his name) who taught his clients three lessons:
- Life is good
- Be happy now
- Let it go
My cousin, Shyam Chari, sent me the following advice that he gives young people:
- Be fearless in your conviction
- Have compassion towards the less fortunate
- Give selfless service to those in need
What to do when you don't know anything
In research, as in life, I am often lost. Here are three rules I have found useful in doing anything new:
- Start simple
- Learn as you go
- Prepare to change
Crazy Wisdom
These should explode your mind!
- If you are a lifelong learner, you will know the most the minute you die.
- The trees around you are built, in part, from the breath you exhale.
- The atoms that constitute you were part of the Big Bang.
- The goal of research is to increase ignorance: if you discover something new, then, by definition, no one else knows it, so you just increased their ignorance.
- You are not the same person you were when you started reading this sentence.
- You see light from stars years after it was emitted, and the light from objects in your immediate surroundings nanoseconds after. But in either case, you only see the past, not the present. When you think about it, the present is an illusion.
- A daily miracle: the water you sip was "not you" a second before you drank it and became "you" the second you did.
- Professors are neurosurgeons: they restructure their students' brains by changing the weights in wetware neural networks.
Clarity and wisdom
- Clarity is seeing the beginning in the beginning and the end in the end
- Wisdom is seeing the beginning in the end and the end in the beginning
- Equanimity is to accept both insights