After Yale decided no, another big player decides yes. It’s getting interesting in the science publishing world.

Jim

The Neuroimaging Core of the Krasnow Institute (NICKI) elected Raja Parasuraman as its chair Friday for a two year term. I’m really looking forward to working with him and the rest of NICKI to get the maximum scientific productivity from our 3T MRI. I’d also like to thank outgoing co-chairs Layne Kalbfleisch and Kevin McCabe for their hard work in getting the center going and especially to Layne for staying on as Chief Magnet Safety Officer in addition to her role as the head of KIDLAB.

Jim

Of course that moniker usually is reserved for the one in Princeton where Einstein was. Recently I saw the term used on its own for another institute at Los Alamos. That got me thinking about the usefulness of the term in communicating to stakeholders what we do at Krasnow. This week, I reported to Mason’s Board of Visitors on the past academic year and started out my remarks by referring to the successful year of the institute for advanced study–the one at George Mason.

Jim

It felt good to drive onto Campus this morning and walk into my office here at Krasnow. Today is crammed with meetings, but I do hope there is time to savor a quiet walk through the new wing of the Institute.

Jim

This small vignette is so typical of thirty years of memories in this place. I had been working on a book project this afternoon and needed a break. I walked out the grated fire-escape from my ancient building (Homestead) and walked into the Village. I heard a bit of music coming from a restaurant called Phusion just proximal to the Woods Hole draw bridge. It must have been the end of the Sunday brunch festivities. Looking in the door, I notices that it was just the acoustic band and the wait staff. The bartender suddenly called out and said, “let JJ sing.” JJ is one of cook staff at Phusion. He demured. But the entire staff and the band started clapping and cheering for him to come out and sing.

So he did. And as he banged out the best Bob Marley reggae that I’ve heard in years, the entire staff (no customers) started dancing and singing along–owner included. It was so good that it sent shivers down my back.

Why does such a small scientific village have such incredible music talent?

Why does live music have the power over the human mind that is so clearly evident?

Jim

A close friend and colleague emailed the other day and asked “How is creative “drive” or creativity defined so that you can look for it?”

This is a somewhat distinct question from the related Krasnow scientific question of recognizing/studying fluid intelligence (or “g” as it is called).

It’s also very closely related to what my job is about, since as an institute director, probably the most important requirement is to recruit and retain the “talent”.

The glib answer of course is that I recognize it when I see it, even if I might not be able to define it. But I think that’s not a particularly satisfying answer. Instead, I would put forward the notion of someone who has both depth and breadth of knowledge (in whatever field) yet remains essentially curious about the nature of the world around them. I believe that it’s the curiosity part that drives the creativity part. If your curious about the world, then that implies a drive to learn more about the world (in spite of knowledge), which in turn drives the creative quest to devise new ways to learn more.

In science of course this happens within the structure of Popperian hypothesis testing (usually).

Jim

I arrived in Woods Hole this evening. It is hot and muggy but there is a nice wind off the water.

My sister and her husband took me out to lunch at the Harvard Club. It was fabulous. Drew Faust, the new Harvard President was there presiding over a large lunch party. Across from our table, I heard mention of Torsten Wiesel, Nobel laureate and vision neuroscientist and it reminded me of how very much Harvard neuroscience has contributed to the field over the years.

Tomorrow is the MBL corporation meeting. My report on the Journal (Biological Bulletin) is part of the drill. Our impact factor is at a ten year high–proof that a historically significant journal can also play a role in 21st century science. In the evening, there will be the dedication of the new Rowe Laboratories—the former Whitman Building, where Krasnow’s Professor Ascoli and I cut our teeth studying sea urchin fertilization.

Jim

Benedict Carey has an excellent piece in today’s NY Times on the mind. Money quote:

More fundamentally, the new studies reveal a subconscious brain that is far more active, purposeful and independent than previously known. Goals, whether to eat, mate or devour an iced latte, are like neural software programs that can only be run one at a time, and the unconscious is perfectly capable of running the program it chooses.

The give and take between these unconscious choices and our rational, conscious aims can help explain some of the more mystifying realities of behavior, like how we can be generous one moment and petty the next, or act rudely at a dinner party when convinced we are emanating charm.

I try to stress this regularly to our PI’s: if you don’t go fishing, you can be sure you wont catch any fish.

Over the next academic year, I’ll be meeting individually with all of our PI’s to discuss their grants strategies.

Jim

I took a quick walk through the new building again today. The new labs
are ready to go and I'm expecting the first of our new faculty members
to arrive this evening at Dulles Airport.

I'm off to a meeting at the Law School and then fighting the get-away
traffic west. I'll be in our Wintergreen retreat this evening (if the
highway deities are willing).

Jim