Table of contents
- Life Update
- Tools and Tips
- Readers’ Favorite
- Stuff
Life Update
Last weekend I had some alone time and decided to catch up on my reading.
Not scientific reading. Leisure reading.
With scientific reading, I want to KNOW as much as I can.
I consume data in ENORMOUS quantities.
But this time, I wanted to read for fun.
So I opened my E-Reader (I use Boox, see the "Stuff" section) and started reading a book about the difference between "Mind Management" and "Time Management".
In short, it discusses how to manage your time in a way that allows you to be creative.
What does it mean exactly?
Let's use scientific literature as an example.
You can read 10 manuscripts.
You can also use AI to summarize 200 manuscripts for you.
Huge quantities of data.
But you can also do something else.
You can read one manuscript.
One.
Back to my E-Reader.
I started to read, and after just a few lines, I had an itch.
“How can I make this more productive?”
“How can I consume it in the minimum amount of time possible?”
Don't judge me.
This is what I'm used to doing.
This is what I do for a living.
If someone comes to me with a rare tumor, I can't ask them to wait a year for me to cover the entire literature. I have to cover all the knowledge and reach a conclusion quickly.
But I'm not trying to cure a tumor right now.
I'm reading a book, for god's sake.
So I gave it another chance.
I started to read.
At my own pace.
A HUMAN pace.
And I paused.
And I highlighted a paragraph.
Then I stopped.
And contemplated 🤔.
And then, something magical happened 💫.
I came up with a few creative ideas.
It only took 2 minutes.
What would happen if I used tools to make this reading more efficient?
Would I still come up with these creative ideas?
No way!!
Your creativity will only come when you read at a human pace.
What is considered a human pace?
Having conversations, and reading texts slowly.
What isn't considered "human pace"?
TV, internet, and social media.
They stuff so much information into your brain, and there’s no way you’ll stay creative.
Bottom line?
Ask yourself — are you pausing your data consumption from time to time to contemplate? 🤔
Do you feel creative when consuming content?
If the answer is no, you're probably not consuming your data at a human pace.
It's like food. You want to savor it. You want to enjoy each bite.
Binging and stuffing your mouth with the same kind of ordinary foods will never be as joyful.
Think about it.
By the way, this metaphor made me hungry 🤤.
Number 148!
Let’s do this!
Tools and Tips
Recently, I've been reading and editing texts quite a lot.
Usually, I'm working on my laptop — it's a MacBook M2 Pro 13-inch.
There are many advantages to using a laptop:
You don't need to transfer your data (everything is in one place), you can work anywhere you want, and you can change your position.
I can sit on the sofa, stand in front of the kitchen table, sit in front of the desk, and so on.
But a laptop has a major downside:
Its screen is small.
Sure, you can go for a 15-inch, 16-inch, or even an 18-inch laptop.
However, none of them come close to a 24-inch or a 32-inch desktop screen.
So far, nothing new, right?
If you want a bigger screen, you can simply connect your laptop to an external monitor.
Like the one I have in my office— a 24-inch screen.
But this week, I did something I haven't done before. Something I haven't even thought about before.
I flipped my desktop screen 90 degrees.
I turned it from landscape to portrait.
(You can see a picture I took in my office here).
Oh
My
God.
I don't know how I haven't thought about this before.
EVERYTHING I read, and EVERYTHING I write, is in portrait mode.
Think about it!
If you print something, is it in landscape or portrait?
It's in portrait!
If you read a book, is it in landscape or portrait?
It's in portrait!
When you check your email or social media on your phone, are you holding it in landscape or portrait?
In portrait!
So, why are our computer screens all in landscape orientation?
I'll tell you why: Because we're used to television.
But most of us are not watching television or playing video games on our computer screens.
We read PORTRAIT content on our LANDSCAPE screens.
So I flipped my screen.
Let me tell you, it made everything so much easier and enjoyable.
Reading articles, writing manuscripts, editing texts, you name it.
Can you do it with your screen?
Sure!
You may already have a screen that can rotate without requiring a change to its stand.
But even if you don't, you can still use an adjustable stand on your desk.
A stand that not only allows you to flip your screen to portrait orientation, but also saves space on your desk and enables rotation in various directions (ideal for holding meetings in your office).
Don’t forget to change the orientation of the screen under the “settings” menu.
Which stand do I use? I use this one made by a great company called “Barkan”.
Just make sure your screen has four holes on its backside that fit this stand.
Enjoy!
Readers’ Favorite
Some doctors and scientists choose to stay abroad. But for me, some things are irreplaceable.
Here I wrote about the 4 things from home I miss the most while I lived in the US.
Stuff
💡Gear I use - Boox Tab Mini C.
It's an E-ink device that feels like real paper.
Unlike a Kindle, it’s not limited to reading books you purchased from Amazon.
In essence, it’s like any other Android device. You can install almost anything on it.
I mainly use the Kindle App, Notion, and Readwise Reader on it.
But beware! Don’t expect it to replace your iPad! It’s slower, and the colors resemble a textbook, not a tablet.
Epilogue
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That’s it for this issue.
See you next week!
Shay
Want to learn more from me?
Tip Sheets:
- My Workflow for Reading & Writing Manuscripts
- Future Fellows & Postdocs
- The PhD Journey
- How To Write an Abstract in 10 Minutes
- How to Study for the TOEFL
Video Guides:
- Manage References with a SINGLE CLICK
- My Workflow for Reading & Writing Manuscripts
-
How to Write an Abstract in 10 Minutes
- Make PubMed Work For You
- How I Use Anki Flashcards
- How I Studied for the USMLE
- How I Studied for the TOEFL
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What's in My Bag
- Clinical Photography - The Complete Guide
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