Interlude: Uninterrupted Focus, Memorable Stories, and Trends in Authorship
Do you think that multitasking will help you accomplish more in less time?
Try the following exercise (courtesy of this post that landed in my feed):
Step 1: Count to 10.
Step 2: Cite the first 10 letters of the alphabet.
Step 3: Count to 10 and cite the first 10 letters of the alphabet by alternating between one number and one letter (eg, 1, A, 2, B...).
What did you notice? Was the third step harder and slower?
The first two steps are single tasks, so you can easily and quickly complete them. But in the third step, you need to switch between those tasks, which is harder and slower.
Out of curiosity, I timed myself while completing all three steps. I completed the first two steps in 2 seconds each, for a total of 4 seconds. How long did it take me to complete step 3?
15 seconds. That's nearly 4 times as long! 🤯
This exercise is just a simple example of how uninterrupted focus on one task at a time can help you accomplish more tasks faster and easier.
So when you need to focus and get in a flow state, avoid interruptions and multitasking so that you can get more done faster and easier.
Now onto this week's round-up...
💌 Round-up
💻 From My Desk
Make Your Science Memorable with SUCCESS Principles
Do you want to make your scientific and medical writing memorable? In this video, I break down the six SUCCES principles of memorable messages from the bestselling book Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath. I also share how these principles are relevant to scientific and medical writing. And I add a seventh principle to take your story to the next level—and add a letter to spell SUCCESS correctly.
📆 Upcoming
Enlighten Medical Experts with the Power of Plain Language – June 4, 2025
I was delighted when the AMWA Mid-Atlantic chapter invited me to speak about how plain language is not just a tool for communicating with the public. Plain language is also a powerful tool for communicating with expert readers. During this presentation, I'll debunk misconceptions and share data-proven tips for simplifying writing to craft clear prose that makes the reader’s job easy. You must be a member of the AMWA Mid-Atlantic chapter to join.
...Oh, and if you're interested in sponsoring a seminar or workshop for your group, just reply to this email. I'd be delighted to exchange ideas!
👓 Reading
Scientific writing in physiology: confused/misused terms and phrases
"In this perspective, we attempt to provide general guidance when selecting between or among options for commonly confused and misused terms in scientific writing. We have organized inaccurate, confusing, commonly misused, and misleading words and phrases into separate tables categorized as general language, demographic descriptors, general science, physiological sciences, and exercise physiology."
Global Trends in the Value of Author Order Across Medical Publications: A Cross-Sectional Bibliometric Study
"We collected papers and examined the author order in the fields of ‘Medicine General Internal’ and ‘Surgery’. Hierarchical clustering revealed that the positions of the corresponding authors varied according to country and specialty. These findings highlight the need for clear and internationally accepted standards regarding the value of author order in academic papers, particularly in the context of advancing international collaborative research."
Hyperprolific authorship: Unveiling the extent of extreme publishing in the ‘publish or perish’ era
"The results reveal that hyperprolific authors are concentrated in fields such as Clinical Medicine, Biomedical Research, and Chemistry, and in countries with substantial research investments, including China, the United States, and Germany. Contrary to concerns about a trade-off between quantity and quality, hyperprolific authors tend to produce higher-impact publications on average compared to their peers. Their output is strongly associated with extensive co-authorship networks, reflecting the role of collaboration in enabling prolific publishing."
🖥️ Watching
Why storytelling is more trustworthy than presenting data
"Because storytelling and data is [sic] actually not this 'either/or.' It's an 'and.' They actually create this power ballad that connects you to information differently. To understand how, we have to first understand what happens neurologically when you're listening to a story and data."
Thank you so much for reading.
Warmly,
Crystal
