amc22004

Hey Alec, thanks for the AMA! How did you get into podcasting, and what was the biggest challenge for you in suddenly being on the other side of the interview chair? Did you get any particularly helpful tips from journalists that you've gotten to know over the years?

What do you make of the fact that last month Springer Publishing released a tool that can detect SCIgen papers? Is this a good thing for publishers, or, as Slate suggests, "a tacit admission that even at the most reputable publishing houses, some peer-reviewed journals are incapable of providing even the most minimally competent peer review"?

Could we not just acknowledge that men feel like they're being devalued and figure out a way to alleviate that stress

As a man who works in computer science, I think this sort of sentiment is exactly what frustrates women in the field. Can we "acknowledge that men feel like they're being devalued"? Umm, sure, I guess. But I think we need to pretty quickly move past that, because all suffering is not created equal, and men in general have not had anywhere near the same barriers to entry as women in terms of moving up in the field of science. Think about what it would be like to be a female grad student in u/vanderBoffin's example above - seeing that the playing field is level with your peers, but not with your mentors who occupy roles that you someday want to reach.

would really love an answer to this question too!

Is a hotdog a sandwich?