The hottest Methods Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Inventing the Methods Section

Asimov Press • 380 implied HN points • 12 Jan 26
🔬 Science Methods
  1. Over time, methods went from practical, detailed recipes to short, sidelined Methods sections, and that shift makes many experiments hard or slow to reproduce.
  2. A lot of essential lab know-how is tacit and doesn’t fit cleanly into text, so videos, protocol repositories, and supplements help but face sustainability and credit problems and still treat methods as second-class outputs.
  3. Fixing this requires new infrastructure (versioning, executable protocols, automation, recorded workflows, cloud labs) and changing incentives so people are rewarded for sharing and improving methods, not just for novel results.

Scientific Accuracy and Readability

Scott's Substack • 805 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🔬 Science Methods
  1. Scientific manuscripts should strike a balance between readability and accuracy.
  2. Clearly state the specific target parameters in research questions to drive methods used.
  3. Different methods in scientific research identify different treatment effects; state target parameters upfront to guide method selection.

Welcome to the Memory Palace!

The Memory Palace • 279 implied HN points • 16 Apr 24
📖 Philosophy Methods
  1. Memory palaces are a cool way to remember things by placing images in a familiar space. This method has been used for a long time in cultures that relied on oral storytelling.
  2. Having a strong memory was once a sign of a smart and educated person. Even today, memory competitions highlight how useful these techniques can be for everyone, not just the elite.
  3. Despite technology helping us remember more, memory is still important. Memory palaces encourage us to think about what information we value and want to keep in our minds.

Kitchen Project #97: All about rhubarb

Kitchen Projects • 628 implied HN points • 26 Feb 23
🍲 Food & Drink Methods
  1. Forced rhubarb is fleeting, so preserving it is key to enjoy it year-round.
  2. Preserving methods for forced rhubarb include making jam, syrup, fruit leather, candied rhubarb, and potted rhubarb.
  3. Each preserving method offers a unique way to savor the taste of forced rhubarb in various dishes and treats.

2.6.2 Newton's Legacy

Fields & Energy • 219 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
🔬 Science Methods
  1. Newton's laws of motion were groundbreaking but took time to be fully understood and accepted. People did not immediately grasp his ideas about forces and motion.
  2. Many later scientists built on Newton's work, refining and developing his theories. Newton laid the groundwork, but others were key in shaping what we now know as classical physics.
  3. Newton's scientific approach set a high standard for future research. His methods are still considered a model for how scientific investigations should be conducted.
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Machine learning interpretability from first principles

Mindful Modeler • 359 implied HN points • 26 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Methods
  1. Machine learning models can be understood as mathematical functions that can be broken down into simpler parts
  2. Interpretation methods address the behavior of these simplified components to enhance model interpretability
  3. Techniques like Permutation Feature Importance (PFI), SHAP values, and Accumulated Local Effect Plots use decomposition to explain the importance of features in prediction models

Meta-rational practices: Overview 2

Meaningness • 119 implied HN points • 16 Mar 24
🚌 Education Methods
  1. Opportunities for meta-rational improvement can be categorized in different sites for enhancing rationality
  2. Improving circumrational practice involves methods like better material supports, skills training, and proceduralization
  3. Enhancing the ontology includes steps like merging categories, splitting distinctions, and reassigning cases

Adiós Duolingo, hello Anki

De Novo • 88 implied HN points • 05 Jun 25
🚌 Education Methods
  1. Anki is a flashcard app that helps with memorization using spaced repetition. It's great for learning detailed information and can share decks for team learning.
  2. Using AI to make Anki cards can be helpful, but it's important to check for errors. It's best for reinforcing knowledge rather than learning completely new topics.
  3. After years of using Duolingo, switching to Anki seems more effective for real learning. You can create a system to track your progress similar to Duolingo's streaks.

Week #4: Overview Of Conformal Predictors

Mindful Modeler • 139 implied HN points • 10 Jan 23
🕹 Technology Methods
  1. Conformal prediction is a versatile approach applicable to various machine learning tasks beyond just regression and classification.
  2. When learning about a new conformal prediction method, it's important to consider the machine learning task, non-conformity score used, and how the method deviates from the standard recipe.
  3. Staying up to date with new research in conformal prediction can be facilitated by resources like the 'Awesome Conformal Prediction' repository and following experts in the field on platforms like Twitter.

Anki-fy Your Life

About to Learn • 305 HN points • 18 Mar 23
🚌 Education Methods
  1. Long-term memory is essentially limitless compared to working memory.
  2. Anki can be used to store important information in long-term memory for problem-solving.
  3. When deciding what to remember, focus on facts that are worth 10 minutes of your future time or are striking.

Arguments Against Clinical Meta-genomics

ASeq Newsletter • 58 implied HN points • 31 Jul 23
🔬 Science Methods
  1. Funding for surveillance is lacking, so focusing on diagnostics may not be practical.
  2. Existing methods can detect new pathogens, reducing the need for meta-genomic sequencing.
  3. Challenges exist in making meta-genomic sequencing platforms affordable and appealing compared to traditional methods.

An N terminomics toolbox combining 2-pyridine carboxaldehyde probes and click chemistry for profiling protease specificity

Axial • 37 implied HN points • 12 Dec 23
🔬 Science Methods
  1. The paper introduces an expanded toolbox of reagents for profiling protease substrates and specificity using chemoproteomic methods.
  2. The work demonstrated high N-terminal selectivity with little intrinsic sequence bias beyond a requirement for a backbone amide at position 2.
  3. The 2PCA toolkit enables a broad range of applications in protease biology research by providing selective N-terminal labeling reagents that are easy to implement.

Part 2: Measuring 'noise' when assessing school shooting threats

School Shooting Data Analysis and Reports • 0 implied HN points • 23 Apr 24
🚌 Education Methods
  1. Noise refers to the unwanted variability in decisions made by experts when looking at the same information, leading to inconsistent decisions.
  2. The 'noise' audit process involves creating fictional scenarios and survey questions to measure the undesirable variability in decision-making when assessing threats.
  3. The study involved sending a survey to law enforcement practitioners who rated fictitious school shooting threat vignettes and selected response actions, aiming to understand how 'noise' impacts threat assessment.