Reasons to write

Once upon a time, writing was reserved for certain professions, such as lawyers and clerics. I often start anything I write with ‘Once upon a time’, fully intending to delete it eventually. This may seem odd, as research in science is all about looking forward, exploring what we don’t yet fully understand, but research often has both a history and a direction;  it can be helpful to appreciate how our understanding has evolved over time.… Read the rest

Can Computers Write Science Books?

The German academic publisher Springer has recently brought out a whole book written by a piece of artificial intelligence software called Beta Writer. The book, Lithium-Ion Batteries: a machine generated summary of current research, can be downloaded free of charge as a PDF.… Read the rest