As a PhD student, I think knowing-doing gap and finding the small ways to bridge it, is in essence a description of my work. I was doing the math the other day, and figured that I've read or skimmed (i.e. took notes) around 70 scientific papers in 2021, and I'd argue that's a low end for someone in my field. At the same time, I've authored 1. But doing that 1 paper taught me more about my field than reading an extra 100 would.
There is an argument for outsourcing _some_ of the work (like the photographer-retoucher relationship you mention above), but at the end of the day that's very problem dependent. The day I start relegating parts of my work to others, is the day when I understand these parts worse. Yes, I can achieve more by being higher-up on the ladder (postdocs and professors "author" many papers a year), but I'd argue the deep knowledge you can only develop by doing is getting lost.
What's important I suppose is finding what you're comfortable with losing?
As a PhD student, I think knowing-doing gap and finding the small ways to bridge it, is in essence a description of my work. I was doing the math the other day, and figured that I've read or skimmed (i.e. took notes) around 70 scientific papers in 2021, and I'd argue that's a low end for someone in my field. At the same time, I've authored 1. But doing that 1 paper taught me more about my field than reading an extra 100 would.
There is an argument for outsourcing _some_ of the work (like the photographer-retoucher relationship you mention above), but at the end of the day that's very problem dependent. The day I start relegating parts of my work to others, is the day when I understand these parts worse. Yes, I can achieve more by being higher-up on the ladder (postdocs and professors "author" many papers a year), but I'd argue the deep knowledge you can only develop by doing is getting lost.
What's important I suppose is finding what you're comfortable with losing?
Your iterations are always thought provoking, thank you. Now for the doing, when I stop the procrastination that is.