
Steve Cranford
Freelance Writer at Freelance
Editor-in-Chief at Cell Press
Editor-in-chief, Matter, Cell Press. Curator of fine materials science. Weakness for whisk(e)y. Avengers fan. Bon vivant. Opinions my own. 🇨🇦
Articles
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3 weeks 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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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RT @SaifulChemistry: *Please retweet* Thanks Applications are invited for two posts of Associate Prof or Prof of Materials in the Dept of…

Protip for scientific networking: befriend an editor. We know everybody.

On May 1, DMSE faculty Robert Macfarlane, Rafael Gómez-Bombarelli, Rodrigo Freitas, and C. Cem Tasan led a panel on Scientific Networking. They encouraged graduate students and postdocs to build on their existing networks and to engage in committee service and workshops. https://t.co/TMnJBEE4tQ

The very elegant string of pearls configuration...

Very few will know what this is https://t.co/ikty65Af1B