Alex Kowalewski - Assignment 2
Chapter 7 is titled "The World of High-Tech Publishing" and focuses on the different mediums through which papers can be published. It begins by describing the old fashioned way of publishing: using a typewriter, making copies, and sending it out to all of your colleagues. But times have changed since then. Preprint servers are becoming increasingly popular. The concept is that you can upload your new paper before you print it or send it to anyone else. This allows more people to have access to it and takes out some of the distribution work to spread what you have discovered. Preprint servers have been increasing in popularity, with arXive being at the front.
There are some other type of sites that are focused around disseminating new mathematical and scientific papers. These include things such as blogs and wikis. Blogs are a way for someone to post their thoughts or findings, and have people interact or respond to them via comments. Wikis are sites full of information about a topic, and the interaction with users comes from their ability to edit, correct, or update the content of the page. Both of these are more informal ways of spreading knowledge, but still useful in the fact that it is easy for anyone to read and learn from them, which could inspire or spark more new ideas.
Finally, Krantz touches on the growing idea of social media, and the impact that it could have on the scientific community. He cites an example where a mathematician is stuck on a problem, and sends a message describing his troubles to a group of his colleagues. Within a day his problem was solved. Social media has an ability to spread ideas quickly and have it reach a lot of eyes. While one would not typically expect it to be a mode of conveying scientific ideas or problems, there's no reason that it can't be used in such a manner. It could bring like-minded people together, and easily allow them to communicate and create great, new ideas.
There are some other type of sites that are focused around disseminating new mathematical and scientific papers. These include things such as blogs and wikis. Blogs are a way for someone to post their thoughts or findings, and have people interact or respond to them via comments. Wikis are sites full of information about a topic, and the interaction with users comes from their ability to edit, correct, or update the content of the page. Both of these are more informal ways of spreading knowledge, but still useful in the fact that it is easy for anyone to read and learn from them, which could inspire or spark more new ideas.
Finally, Krantz touches on the growing idea of social media, and the impact that it could have on the scientific community. He cites an example where a mathematician is stuck on a problem, and sends a message describing his troubles to a group of his colleagues. Within a day his problem was solved. Social media has an ability to spread ideas quickly and have it reach a lot of eyes. While one would not typically expect it to be a mode of conveying scientific ideas or problems, there's no reason that it can't be used in such a manner. It could bring like-minded people together, and easily allow them to communicate and create great, new ideas.
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