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Fermat's Library Cofounders João Batalha and Luís Batalha
@ Y Combinator
07/06/18
Takeaways
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João Batalha
07/06/18
@ Y Combinator
Fermat's Library is a platform for annotating academic papers, allowing users to add annotations in parts of papers that are difficult to understand.
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João Batalha
07/06/18
@ Y Combinator
We wanted to take the experience of discussing papers in person and bring it online, as we noticed a lot of valuable content is produced while trying to understand complex papers.
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João Batalha
07/06/18
@ Y Combinator
The first paper we annotated was the Bitcoin paper, which remains the most commented paper on our platform, highlighting its significance in the community.
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João Batalha
07/06/18
@ Y Combinator
The goal of Fermat's Library is to promote open science, which includes sharing data and making research more accessible to facilitate replication and collaboration.
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João Batalha
07/06/18
@ Y Combinator
We aim to build a platform that makes it easier for scientists to collaborate remotely, as we believe there is significant potential for online collaboration in research.
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João Batalha
07/06/18
@ Y Combinator
We built a Chrome extension called Librarian for arXiv, which allows users to extract references, do BibTeX extraction, and add comments on papers directly.
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João Batalha
07/06/18
@ Y Combinator
We are considering implementing a rating system for papers to help users distinguish between high-quality and low-quality research.
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João Batalha
07/06/18
@ Y Combinator
The hot hand phenomenon in basketball suggests that players who make a shot are more likely to make the next one, but research shows this is not necessarily true.
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João Batalha
07/06/18
@ Y Combinator
The Simpsons paradox illustrates that two valid conclusions can be drawn from the same data depending on how it is analyzed, which can lead to misleading interpretations.
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Y Combinator Cast
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A lot more people are getting degrees, which shifts the focus towards higher education, leading to an overall increase in educational attainment.
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The Simpson's paradox illustrates that depending on how you analyze data, you can arrive at different conclusions, which can be valid in different contexts.
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07/06/18
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When analyzing basketball performance, results can differ significantly based on whether you look at individual players or aggregate data.
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Freeman Dyson's paper on the Dyson Sphere proposes that an advanced civilization would need to harness energy from a star, as Earth cannot provide enough energy for their needs.
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Dyson's work on the Schrödinger equation showcases Richard Feynman's intuitive approach to quantum mechanics, making complex concepts accessible even to those without a physics background.
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In the 20th century, many significant scientific discoveries were published in concise papers, often just one or two pages long, making them easier to read and understand.
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The length of scientific papers has increased over time, likely due to the complexity of questions being addressed and the formalization of methodologies in research.
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Clear writing is essential in scientific papers, as demonstrated by Freeman Dyson's impactful work on quantum electrodynamics, which helped unify and clarify the contributions of other researchers.
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Impactful scientific writing should be clear and accessible, allowing a broader audience to understand complex concepts, as seen in the Bitcoin white paper, which can be challenging to grasp.
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Metrics for measuring the impact of scientific papers, such as citation counts, may not always align with the goal of making research understandable to a wider audience.
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The peer review process in scientific publishing is often slow, which can hinder timely dissemination of research, especially in fast-moving fields like machine learning.
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07/06/18
@ Y Combinator
There is a need for a better peer review system that can adapt to the rapid pace of scientific advancements and improve the quality of published research.
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07/06/18
@ Y Combinator
Annotating books, especially introductory texts, could enhance learning by providing additional context and explanations, similar to how academic papers are annotated.
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Creating a platform for continuously updated educational resources could help learners access the most current information and improve their understanding of complex subjects.
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Capturing and sharing insights gained from reading books can enrich the learning experience, allowing for deeper connections and understanding of the material.
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@ Y Combinator
Annotations are often more effective when done by someone other than the author of a paper, as authors may not recognize where readers struggle to understand their work.
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When annotating a paper, it's crucial to understand the audience's perspective, as authors might skip steps in their explanations that are clear to them but not to others.
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We find it beneficial to have peer pressure among ourselves to present papers to each other, which forces us to understand the material thoroughly.
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Building Fermat's Library was a side project that we quickly developed over a weekend, aiming to get it out there as fast as possible.
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We never focused on profitability or monetization for Fermat's Library, as it started as a side project with limited resources.
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We prioritize building tools like the Chrome extension for arXiv because we believe they will have the most significant impact on our community.
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07/06/18
@ Y Combinator
We encourage contributions to Fermat's Library by inviting users to annotate papers, spread the word, and create lists of papers for their research groups.
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07/06/18
@ Y Combinator
We are open to cryptocurrency donations to help cover server costs, but we primarily rely on community contributions and engagement.