视频笔记：《The Zen of Research（科研之道）》

视频链接：The Zen of Research
最新版（2026，看完旧版后才发现）：The Zen of Research（2026）

摘要记录

What is research?

Research is when my students are teaching me something new, important to me and to them and insightful.

What you should do?

• Read recent research papers
• Discuss ideas with your fellow students and professors
• Define a thesis research direction to pursue
• Don’t forget that your advisor is a really busy person
• Show constructive initiative
• Work hard to express your ideas clearly and concisely in writing and in meetings with your advisor, professors and your colleagues

What you should not do?

• Expect to change the world with your early work
• Avoid failure and rejection
• Work on research that doesn’t leverage your strengths
• Be perfect
• Be afraid

What your advisor should do?

• Help find a topic
• Provide constructive criticism as you develop a thesis topic
• Assess which of your ideas is likely to lead to a fruitful line of research
• Support your case in prelims/qualifiers, etc.
• Work to find support for your work, e.g., GSRA or Fellowship
• Help get a job after graduation (recommendations, connections, etc.)

Vocabulary

nerve-wracking adj. 非常伤脑筋的

embark v. 着手，开始（新的或艰难的事情）

pummel v. If you pummel someone or something, you hit them many times using your fists. （用拳头）连续打

quarterly report 季度报告

fake it till you make it 在还没有足够自信或能力时，先表现得像自己已经做得到，慢慢真的变得有能力、有自信。

steep v. 浸泡

behoove v. 理应；对……有此必要

be fraught with 充满（不好的或不想要的东西）

reinvent 彻底改造；重新创造

impediment 妨碍；障碍

The impediment of progress is perfection.

bathe v. 给某人洗澡

bathe you with uncertainty

paralysis n. 麻痹；瘫痪

imposter syndrome 一个人明明已经取得了一些成绩，却总觉得自己其实能力不够，只是靠运气、碰巧或欺骗了别人，并担心迟早会被发现。

plush adj. 豪华的；舒服的

demigod n. 半神半人；英雄人物

champion n. 拥护者；捍卫者

boil down 概括；归纳

rebut v. 反驳；驳回

evocative adj. If you describe something as evocative, you mean that it is good or interesting because it produces pleasant memories, ideas, emotions, and responses in people. 唤起回忆的；引起共鸣的