Blogger: Michael Nielsen
URL: www.michaelnielsen.org/blog
First post: August 2003

Who is the blog written by?

Michael Nielsen is a theoretical physicist who, up until June, was based at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Canada. He is a pioneer of quantum computation, contributing significantly to the theory of entangled quantum states. Last year, however, he announced a major change in the focus of his research, which now centres on the development of new tools for scientific publication and collaboration.

What topics does the blog cover?

The blog strongly reflects Nielsen’s interest in scientific publishing, and in how scientists can take advantage of the Internet in particular. He is currently writing a book about how science will change over the next few years as a result of the Web, and many of his posts consist of notes and comments on articles or books he has read on this topic. Twice a week Nielsen also publishes a list of links to interesting websites, articles or posts on other blogs that he has come across, which are much more general. For example, he has recently linked to an article from the New York Times suggesting that bonuses actually reduce workplace productivity and to a post on the Galaxy Zoo blog about a mysterious blue blob spotted in one of the images analysed by the project.

Who is it aimed at?

Given its focus on the process of science, this blog will primarily be of interest to other scientists. The content is not strictly science related however, and the discussion is usually non-technical.

Why should I read it?

If you are at all interested in how science is done and communicated, and what part the Internet plays in this process, then this blog is for you. Nielsen’s biweekly collections of links provide a great round-up of interesting Web articles related to these topics. And his other posts, although infrequent, are always insightful and well written.

How often is it updated?

Nielsen puts up his biweekly collections of interesting links every Friday and Monday, with other posts interspersed at random intervals.

Can you give me a sample quote?

Harvard’s amazing Berkman Center for Internet and Society had their tenth anniversary celebration last week. During one of the talks, the founder of the Berkman Centre, Charles Nesson, asked the following question about the relationship between universities and Wikipedia: “Wikipedia is the instantiation of the building of the knowledge commons. Why didn’t it come out of a university?” I think it’s an important question. It bothers me a lot that Wikipedia didn’t come out of a university. Academics make a big song and dance about their role in advancing human knowledge, yet they’ve played only a bit part in developing one of the most important tools for the advancement of human knowledge built in my lifetime.