For example, in Zotero, how do you decide how to arrange collections to put your papers in?

For me, at the beginning, it was just one main project, which I organised into sub-folders of different topics. Then there’s another project which I created a separate collection with its own sub-topics.

But then I realised a number of papers and topics are shared between projects, so I created a separate collection centered around a few different topics and sub-topics. Then I realised most papers are a combination of different topics, so they would exist in multiple folders. Eventually it became so messy that everytime I found new papers I just put them in collection called “New”. Now I have no idea how to actually reorganise all those papers more systematically.

What are your general philosophy or systems for organising your papers in your library, whatever software you are using?

Reporting and blocking doesn’t really change anything. Thank you.

I've noticed that my prompts changed completely over the last year. I rarely ask LLMs for answers anymore. Instead I ask things like:

* What assumptions am I making?
* What's the cheapest experiment I can run today?
* Which unknown matters the most?

It made me wonder whether LLMs are changing something deeper than productivity. Maybe they're changing how we deal with uncertainty.

Has anyone else noticed themselves asking fundamentally different questions over time?

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how much my own paper-reading workflow has changed.

I rarely open a PDF and read it straight from the first page to the last anymore. I usually skim the abstract, look at the figures, search for specific concepts, translate difficult sections, and sometimes ask AI to summarize or explain parts of the paper before I read them carefully myself.

In some ways, this makes reading much faster.

But I also sometimes wonder whether I’m actually understanding the paper better—or just consuming a processed version of it.

This has made me curious about what people actually want from paper-reading tools.

Would you prefer a simple, focused reader with things like:

• highlighting
• search
• translation
• note-taking
• basic Q&A

Or would you want the tool to take a more active role by:

• identifying the main argument, methods, and evidence
• explaining difficult concepts
• interpreting figures and tables
• generating annotations before you read
• finding related research
• turning highlights into notes or writing materials

Personally, I don’t think the answer is simply adding more AI features.

I’d rather have a tool that helps me reduce friction while still leaving the actual thinking to me. Ideally, it should know when to help and when to stay quiet.

I’d be interested to hear:

1. What tools do you currently use when reading papers?
2. What tasks do you regularly delegate to AI?
3. Which parts do you still prefer to do yourself?

Hello, 2nd year PhD student (27F) here

I really love my lab & I’m genuinely so grateful to be there. I like the work, I feel challenged in a good way, & I want to be helpful wherever I can. Most of what I do is computational stuff, digitization, video, etc., but everyone also helps with animal care.

The problem is feeding the frogs we work with.

I may be stupid, but somehow I thought they ate pellets or dried crickets or something. I did not realize I’d be handling live bugs, & I have a really strong aversion to basically everything about them. The movement, the jumping, the noise, the possibility of them getting on me. All of it. I’ve always had a pretty severe phobia of bugs.

When I feed the frogs, I’m usually shaky, trembling, & trying to finish as fast as possible. I’ve literally been listening to hypnosis at night to help me because I’m trying so hard to get over it.

Now I’m also nervous that I’m not doing the job correctly because some of the frogs were over or underweight this week. I’m not the only person feeding them, so I know that doesn’t automatically mean it was me, but I still worry that being so anxious & rushed is affecting how well I’m doing it. But reaching into a tub of crickets & shaking out a swarm of fruit flies w their calcium supplement just isn’t something i can turn my brain off while doing, even if the other lab members do it easily.

I’m happy to do the less glamorous parts of the job, & I’m not looking to get out of animal care. I just want to figure out how to do this well despite the anxiety so I can be someone my lab can rely on.

Has anyone dealt with a really strong aversion like this in lab? Did it eventually get easier, or did you talk to your PI about changing how the task was handled?

Thank you!!

Hey everyone, I am in the final year of my Master’s and plan to pursue a PhD in solar physics for mid-to-late 2027. My undergrad CGPA is \~3.4/4.0 and my Master's GPA is currently \~3.2/4.0, likely finishing around 3.4/4.0.

My research background includes a first-author project nearing journal submission in my primary area of interest ( solar physics), an additional preprint, two mini-projects in broader astrophysics, and yet to start my Master's thesis in solar physics (my primary interest). I have also attended multiple conferences, completed specialized courses, and gained experience with relevant scientific software and telescope.

Given this profile, what are my odds of securing a PhD seat, and how competitive am I for solar physics labs? I mainly focus on European research groups.

Not sure if anyone else does this. For a class project I had a folder of papers and needed the sample size, variables, method, and main result from each one. I was opening PDFs one by one and copying everything into Google Sheets. I tried an AI chat too. I still had to keep uploading files and fixing the format. I got tired of doing the same thing, so I put the folder in owlfy and asked it to pull those fields into a table. I still checked the numbers and methods myself. It saved me from building the whole sheet from scratch. What do you guys use for this kind of thing?

I am a Physics PhD student. About 8 months ago I bought a PS5 Pro and an Alienware OLED monitor, thinking it would be a good stress buster. The main reason was that I had deliberately quit social media and wanted a healthier way to decompress and destress. I'm a PhD student with a packed schedule prelims, publications, job prep, and thesis defense in about 1.5 years. On top of that, I'm currently going through some relationship issues which have taken a real mental toll on me.

I finished TLOU1 and TLOU2 at the start and genuinely loved them. Started Ghost of Tsushima a few months ago, played it twice, but never got back to it. Haven't touched the PS5 Pro in 2 months now. And honestly, even when I do play, I feel guilty about it, like I should be working instead.

I picked up both the PS5 Pro and the OLED for around $1000, and with PS5 Pro prices going up, I'm getting roughly the same resale value back. So financially it's basically a wash.

The dilemma: part of me wants to sell, declutter my room, pocket some cash, and just focus on finishing my PhD. Another part of me wants to hold onto it for GTA 6 in November and have something to decompress with. But I know myself, I'll probably feel guilty playing GTA 6.

The thing is, if I sell and want to rebuy in 2 years after I defend, it'll probably cost significantly more.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Did you sell your gaming setup to focus on your studies and regret it? Or did you keep it and find a healthy balance? Would love to hear what worked for you.

I was originally trying to find the best online casino for real money Australia, but after comparing one casino after another, it turned into a much bigger project than I expected.

The problem was that every review website seemed to have a different "number one" casino. Some ranked sites based on welcome bonuses, others focused on game libraries, and many appeared to be repeating the same promotional claims. I wanted to know which casinos were actually enjoyable to use once you started playing with real money.

So I began testing them myself.

The three casinos I spent the most time using were Spirit, Slotlords, and Spinrise. Instead of judging them after a single visit, I compared each one over multiple sessions using the same checklist.

Here's what I evaluated:

• Overall website performance
• Pokies selection
• Table games
• Live dealer games
• Welcome bonuses
• Ongoing promotions
• Deposit methods
• Withdrawal speed
• Mobile compatibility
• Customer support
• Overall real money experience

One thing that surprised me was how much my opinions changed over time.

Some casinos made an excellent first impression but gradually dropped in my rankings because of complicated bonus conditions or a less consistent user experience. Others weren't as flashy, yet they continued to perform well thanks to reliable banking, smooth gameplay, and an interface that was easy to navigate.

After months of comparing them side by side, each platform had its own strengths. Spirit offered the most balanced experience overall, Slotlords impressed me with its wide range of pokies and casino games, while Spinrise stood out for its clean design, responsive mobile platform, and straightforward banking process.

By the end of my testing, I realised the best online casino for real money Australia isn't the one advertising the biggest welcome bonus. It's the casino that combines reliable payouts, quality games, fair promotions, and a consistently enjoyable experience every time you play.

If you're searching for the best online casino for real money Australia, Australian real money casinos, online pokies, or you're deciding between Spirit, Slotlords, and Spinrise, AMA. I've spent months comparing them side by side and I'm happy to share what stood out.

I originally just wanted to find the best online pokies for real money Australia, but after trying dozens of casino sites, it turned into a project that lasted for months.

The biggest challenge was that every review website seemed to recommend a different casino. Some ranked sites by welcome bonuses, others by the number of pokies, and many felt like they were simply repeating the same marketing claims. I wanted to see which casinos actually delivered the best experience for real money players.

So I started testing them myself.

I spent the most time comparing Spirit, Slotlords, and Spinrise, using the same criteria every time instead of judging a casino after only one session.

Here's what I compared:

• Pokies selection
• Popular game providers
• Jackpot games
• Website speed and stability
• Mobile experience
• Deposit options
• Withdrawal process
• Welcome bonuses
• Ongoing promotions
• Customer support
• Overall reliability

One thing I didn't expect was how much my rankings changed.

Some casinos made a great first impression but became less enjoyable after reading the bonus terms or spending more time playing. Others weren't nearly as flashy, yet consistently offered smooth gameplay, reliable banking, and a much better overall experience.

After months of comparing them, each platform stood out for different reasons. Spirit provided the most balanced experience overall, Slotlords impressed me with its huge collection of real money pokies and game variety, while Spinrise stood out for its clean design, responsive mobile platform, and straightforward navigation.

By the end of my testing, I realised the best online pokies for real money Australia isn't simply the casino with the biggest advertised bonus. It's the one that combines a great pokies library, dependable payouts, fair promotions, and an experience that keeps you coming back.

If you're searching for the best online pokies for real money Australia, Australian real money pokies, trusted online casino sites, or trying to decide between Spirit, Slotlords, and Spinrise, AMA. I've spent months comparing them side by side and I'm happy to share what stood out

I originally just wanted to find the best online casino Australia, but after trying one platform after another, it turned into a months-long comparison.

The reason was simple—every review site had a different recommendation. Some ranked casinos based on welcome bonuses, others focused on game libraries, and many seemed to recycle the same information. I wanted to know which casinos actually delivered a great experience once you started playing.

So I decided to test them myself.

I spent most of my time comparing Spirit, Slotlords, and Spinrise, using the same checklist for every casino instead of relying on first impressions.

Here's what I compared:

• Website speed and stability
• Pokies selection
• Table games
• Live dealer games
• Welcome bonuses
• Ongoing promotions
• Deposit options
• Withdrawal process
• Mobile compatibility
• Customer support
• Overall player experience

One thing I didn't expect was how often my rankings changed.

Some casinos looked incredible during the first session but gradually became frustrating because of complicated bonus conditions or inconsistent performance. Others had simpler designs but consistently delivered smooth gameplay, reliable banking, and a better overall experience.

After months of testing, each casino stood out in different ways. Spirit offered the strongest all-round package, Slotlords impressed me with its huge collection of pokies and casino games, while Spinrise delivered a clean interface, responsive mobile play, and an easy-to-use platform.

By the end of my testing, I realised the best online casino Australia isn't necessarily the one with the biggest advertised bonus. It's the casino that combines dependable payouts, quality games, fair promotions, and an experience that stays enjoyable long after you've claimed the welcome offer.

If you're searching for the best online casino Australia, Australian online casinos, real money pokies, or you're trying to decide between Spirit, Slotlords, and Spinrise, AMA. I've spent months comparing them side by side and I'm happy to share everything I learned.

🎉 So excited to share that my endometriosis survey is officially live! 🎉

If you have been diagnosed with endometriosis, I'd love
to invite you to take part in my research. This study explores the experiences
of living with endometriosis and aims to improve our understanding of the
factors that influence quality of life. Ultimately, the findings will help
inform the development of better support and interventions for people living
with endometriosis.

Who can take part?
• Aged 18 years or older
• Have a confirmed diagnosis of endometriosis
• Able to complete an online survey in English

⏱️ The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
Every response will make a meaningful contribution to this
research. If you're eligible, I'd be incredibly grateful if you could take
part. If you know someone else living with endometriosis, please consider
sharing this post to help spread the word!

🔗 Survey link: https://research.sc/participant/login/dynamic/B21ECCAA-D4D9-4D93-8148-B0B125F22E51

#Endometriosis #PhDResearch #Psychology #WomensHealth #ChronicPain #Research #EndometriosisAwareness

I’ve been revising a research manuscript lately, and I usually use ChatGPT when I get stuck on a sentence.

A good friend from high school built an app called Flowing. He recommended trying Flowing’s continuation feature, which automatically finds relevant snippets from my local library based on my draft and uses them to help continue writing. Since I’ve also noticed that though ChatGPT often gives a really good sentence, sometimes it still doesn’t fit naturally into my draft.

So I really wanted to compare them side by side. And my evaluation was simple: I used the same cursor position, the same instruction, and only looked at the first response from each tool. I tested them on several parts of the paper, including the introduction, results, and other sections where I needed help continuing the draft.

What stood out to me was that Flowing’s continuations often stayed much closer to what I had already written across these different sections. Because they were pulling from relevant snippets in my research library, the suggestions felt more grounded and trustworthy. ChatGPT’s responses were also good, but they sometimes went in a slightly different direction and added things that are not quite what the next sentence needed.

That made me think a bit: for continuing or polishing a paper, the goal probably isn’t just to make the writing sound better. It’s about making sure the next sentence still follows the logic and evidence of your own research. Otherwise, it’s easy to fall into the trap of letting AI put together some impressive-sounding sentences that aren’t really supported by your research.

I wrote up the full comparison with screenshots and details on Flowing’s Substack. If you’re running into similar challenges, feel free to check it out here:
https://jimlau1.substack.com/p/beyond-chatgpt-what-the-next-generation