Steve Cranford

Cambridge

Freelance Writer at Freelance

Editor-in-chief, Matter, Cell Press. Curator of fine materials science. Weakness for whisk(e)y. Avengers fan. Bon vivant. Opinions my own. 🇨🇦

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Articles

I’m busy: The search for peer reviewers

2 days ago | cell.com | Steve Cranford

Main textPeer review is a little bit of a contentious topic lately, with the proliferation of journal titles being launched and submissions draining the community of time and effort … with little reward or recognition. What used to be somewhat of a gentleman’s agreement between author and journal has turned into the academic equivalent of arranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
Matter Forums: Face-to-face still matters

1 month ago | cell.com | Steve Cranford

Main textThe recent global pandemic required an abrupt shift in how science was shared globally, for better or for worse. Virtual meetings were the new normal and have persisted (in a more limited context) past the pandemic's prime. There are numerous pros and cons to moving science online, but is it reflective of a larger trend, merely accelerated by pandemic restrictions?
Bio-inspiration or bio-obfuscation?

Feb 5, 2025 | cell.com | Steve Cranford

EditorialVolume 8, Issue 2101894Editor-in-Chief, Matter, Cell PressDOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2024.10.012Also available on ScienceDirectCopyright: © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies. Team Matter was in the midst of having a typical editorial meeting on a typical day when the team discussed a recent manuscript submission related to batteries.
Citations are not a card game

Jan 8, 2025 | cell.com | Steve Cranford

Main textThrough a variety of social media posts—and even a recent Nature highlight (https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-02511-5)—we were made aware of an upcoming card game entitled “Publish or Perish,” which was recently released (https://get.thepublishorperishgame.com/). In this tongue-in-cheek take on academia, players aim to accumulate the most citations (clearly the current currency of academia), even if it means engaging in a bit of unethical behavior.
Momma says science is as science does

Aug 6, 2024 | cell.com | Steve Cranford

Main textSocial media is an interesting platform to say the least (I know, that’s the understatement of the year). On the one hand, it provides a universal “digital town hall,” where anyone’s voice can be heard. A great equalizer. On the other hand … anyone’s voice can be heard. This has led to toxic behavior and some of the worst aspects of human nature, along with plenty of memes.
5 years of Matter, 5 innovations

Jul 2, 2024 | cell.com | Steve Cranford

Main textThis issue marks the fifth anniversary of Matter, 5 years to the day since the publication of volume #1, issue #1 on July 3rd, 2019. It has been quite an exciting few years, launching a title from scratch, with plenty of ups and downs, challenges, and opportunities. And COVID. Can’t forget that global pandemic. Ugh. The prior 5 years wouldn’t have been possible without the people behind the journal, including editorial, marketing, operations, and production.
Does AI get an A+? Assessing a ChatGPT editorial

Jun 4, 2024 | cell.com | Steve Cranford

Main textThe emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool for content generation has sparked debate within multiple fields. In particular, the generative language model “chat generative pre-trained transformer”—more commonly known as “ChatGPT”—is a user-friendly AI chatbot trained and designed to produce human-like written output based on user prompts and is (seemingly) smart enough to explain complex scientific ideas.
The Tortured Academics Department

Apr 2, 2024 | cell.com | Steve Cranford

Main textI have a confession to make. I consider myself relatively up to date with pop culture. I like all types of music. I have a 10-year-old daughter. I’m a Swiftie. Now, Taylor Swift’s music isn’t my first go-to, but she can sure write a banger. Within my own household, competing with the choices and musical preferences of my wife and daughter, I could do much worse.
Double the materials science, double the fun?

Mar 5, 2024 | cell.com | Steve Cranford

Main textAn interesting fact about Matter (and our associated titles at Cell Press) is that we do not have a precise number of articles to publish per issue. Sure, we have targets, but those are set on an annual basis. Currently, it’s around twelve research articles per issue for Matter, plus or minus one or two depending on the month. There’s a perpetual balance between the number of articles, quality, and scope, as well as editorial handling capacity.
Imagine. Question. Create.

Feb 6, 2024 | cell.com | Steve Cranford

Main textEarly last fall, when the academic year was starting its inevitable new cycle, rather than experiencing the hustle and bustle of a university campus alive with freshmen and senior grad students, I found myself sitting in the theater of a private school in the Boston suburbs. My 9-year-old daughter was just entering fourth grade, and this was the annual parent curriculum night. The excitement was palpable.