I read the top 100 scientific papers of all time
TLDRIn this video, the host takes on the challenge of reading the top 100 most cited scientific papers of all time, as determined by citations—a common measure of a paper's impact. The list, compiled by Nature in 2014, is dominated by biology, with techniques like the Lowry assay and Sanger sequencing among the most cited. The host explores the limitations of citation-based rankings, noting that groundbreaking theories like the discovery of DNA or Einstein's work don't feature, highlighting the incremental nature of scientific progress. The video also discusses the rise of computer-based techniques and the potential for machine learning to disrupt future lists, concluding that science is a cumulative human endeavor built on small discoveries and techniques by lesser-known scientists.
Takeaways
- 📈 The 'top 100 scientific papers of all time' are often determined by the number of citations they have received, which is a measure of how much they have influenced subsequent scientific work.
- 🔍 The speaker faced challenges in finding an up-to-date list of the most cited papers, ultimately using a list compiled by the journal Nature in 2014.
- 📚 Biology is the most represented field in the top 100 papers, with 39 papers describing lab techniques and over 50% related to the study of living beings.
- 🧬 The top six papers are all related to techniques used in biology labs, such as the Lowry assay for protein measurement and the Sanger sequencing method for DNA.
- 🧑🔬 The list includes a surprising number of single-author papers, although the frequency of these decreases in more recent years, reflecting the increasingly collaborative nature of scientific research.
- 🏆 To be in the top 100, a paper needs over 12,000 citations, a very high threshold considering the majority of papers receive between 0 and 9 citations.
- 🤔 Notable absences from the list include groundbreaking theories and discoveries like DNA structure, chaos theory, and special relativity, which are overshadowed by widely used methods.
- 🤓 The speaker found physical chemistry papers more difficult to understand than bioscience ones, possibly due to unfamiliar terminology in a different context.
- 📉 The list may be biased towards methods over discoveries, as methods are more frequently cited in scientific literature.
- 💡 The script highlights the importance of incremental discoveries and techniques, which are the linchpins of scientific progress rather than just the monumental geniuses.
- 🚀 The sponsor, Brilliant, is a platform for learning math, science, and computer science through interactive courses that emphasize application and improvement.
Q & A
What is the main criterion used to determine the top 100 scientific papers of all time in the video?
-The main criterion used is the number of citations each paper has received, which is a common measure of a paper's success and influence in the scientific community.
Why did the presenter decide to read the top 100 most cited scientific papers?
-The presenter took it as a challenge to explore what makes these papers significant and to understand the scientific process and impact of these highly cited works.
What difficulties did the presenter encounter when trying to find the top 100 papers?
-The presenter faced difficulties such as the inability to sort by raw citation numbers on websites and the failure of a Python script to scrape Google Scholar.
Which journal's list from 2014 was used in the video to identify the top 100 papers?
-The presenter used a list compiled by the journal Nature in 2014.
What is the oldest paper in the top 100 according to the Nature list?
-The oldest paper in the top 100 was published in 1925.
What subject dominates the list of top 100 papers?
-Biology dominates the list, with 39 of the papers describing techniques used in biology labs and over 50 percent related to the study of living beings.
Why were there many single author papers on the top 100 list?
-The presenter was surprised by the number of single author papers, but noted that the frequency of single author papers decreased over time, reflecting the trend towards more collaborative science.
What is the minimum number of citations required for a paper to be in the top 100 according to the 2014 data?
-According to the 2014 data, a paper needs to have over 12,000 citations to be in the top 100.
What are the top six scientific papers of all time and why are they highly cited?
-The top six papers are all about techniques used in biology labs, which received between fifty thousand and three hundred thousand citations by 2014. They are highly cited because they describe widely used methods in bioscience research.
Why are some well-known scientific discoveries not on the top 100 list?
-Some well-known discoveries like the DNA structure, chaos theory, and special relativity are not on the list because they are not methods that get cited as frequently as the techniques described in the top papers.
What is the significance of the Lowry assay mentioned in the video?
-The Lowry assay is a technique used to measure the amount of protein in a sample, which is widely used in laboratories. The paper describing it is the top paper of all time due to its frequent use and citation.
What does the presenter suggest about the nature of scientific progress?
-The presenter suggests that scientific progress is not made by giants but by humans, through a long chain of small incremental discoveries and the development of key techniques.
What is the role of Brilliant as mentioned in the video?
-Brilliant is a website and app that helps improve skills in maths, science, and computer science by introducing new ideas and getting users to apply them through interactive courses.
Outlines
📚 The Challenge of Reading Top Scientific Papers
The video script introduces a challenge to read the top 100 most cited scientific papers of all time, defined by their citation count. The speaker discusses the significance of citations in scientific literature and the difficulty in finding a definitive list of the most cited papers. The list used in the video is from a 2014 compilation by the journal Nature, which, despite being somewhat outdated, is believed to remain largely unchanged. The oldest paper dates back to 1925, and the most recent to 2008, with the 1980s being the most represented decade. Biology is the dominant subject, with 39 papers detailing lab techniques and over half related to the study of living beings. The speaker also notes the surprising number of single-author papers and the extraordinary citation thresholds required to make the top 100, with the top six papers all being biology lab techniques with citations ranging from 50,000 to over 300,000 by 2014.
🧬 Dominance of Bioscience and the Nature of Scientific Papers
This paragraph delves into the content of the top scientific papers, highlighting the dominance of bioscience techniques, such as the Lowry assay for protein measurement, SDS-PAGE for protein separation, and the Bradford assay. It also mentions the historical significance of Sanger sequencing for DNA and the surprising inclusion of single-author papers. The speaker finds physical chemistry papers more challenging due to unfamiliar terminology and context. The paragraph also points out the absence of well-known scientific breakthroughs like DNA discovery or the Schrödinger equation from the list, emphasizing that the list primarily features methods rather than discoveries. The speaker's personal highlights include papers introducing new concepts like fuzzy sets in mathematics and evolutionary family trees based on DNA differences.
🤖 Emergence of Computer-Based Techniques and AI in Scientific Research
The speaker observes a shift towards computer-based techniques and software in the scientific papers, suggesting that machine learning and artificial intelligence could be significant disruptors to the list since 2014. They note the increasing prevalence of statistical techniques in recent papers and the potential for these fields to dominate future lists. The paragraph also humorously mentions some peculiar inclusions, such as a paper on determining handedness in medical patients and another on simulating liquid water. The speaker reflects on the nature of scientific progress, emphasizing the importance of incremental discoveries and the techniques that enable them, rather than just the monumental breakthroughs.
🎓 The Role of 'Brilliant' in Enhancing Scientific Learning
In the final paragraph, the speaker discusses the sponsor of the video, 'Brilliant,' a platform designed to improve skills in mathematics, science, and computer science through interactive courses. The platform encourages learning by doing, with a focus on application rather than correctness. It offers content from middle school to graduate school level across a wide range of subjects, including computational biology and set theory. The speaker promotes 'Brilliant' as an ideal companion to classroom learning, providing an interactive way to explore scientific concepts. They conclude by thanking 'Brilliant' for sponsoring the video and encouraging viewers to take advantage of the offer to start learning for free.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Citations
💡Scientific Papers
💡Nature Journal
💡Biology
💡Lowry Assay
💡Sanger Sequencing
💡Machine Learning
💡Graphene
💡Incremental Discoveries
💡Brilliant
Highlights
The challenge of reading the top 100 most cited scientific papers of all time based on citations.
Citations as a measure of a paper's success and the goal of scientists to write highly cited papers.
Difficulty in finding the top 100 papers due to limitations of online resources and scraping issues.
Use of a 2014 list from the journal Nature as a reference for the top 100 papers.
Biology's dominance in the top 100 with 39 papers describing lab techniques and over 50% related to living beings.
Surprise at the number of single author papers in the top 100, indicating a shift towards collaboration in science.
The requirement for a paper to have over 12,000 citations to enter the top 100, highlighting the rarity of such an achievement.
The top six papers are all techniques used in biology labs, with the highest receiving up to 300,000 citations by 2014.
The Lowry assay, a technique for protein measurement, being the most cited paper of all time.
The importance of understanding the context of scientific papers, as they often read like recipes rather than theoretical works.
The absence of well-known scientific breakthroughs like DNA discovery or the Schrödinger equation from the top 100 list.
The bias in assessing the impact of scientific papers based solely on the number of citations received.
The inclusion of the paper on fuzzy sets, the highest ranked math paper, introducing a new concept of set theory.
The shortest paper in the top 100, a one-page addendum on tracking enzymes that interact with DNA.
The paper by Saito and Nay proposing a method for constructing evolutionary family trees based on DNA samples.
The graphene paper as a notable exception, being a discovery rather than a method, and its high ranking in the list.
The observation of an increase in computer-based techniques and software descriptions in recent years within the top 100.
The potential for machine learning and artificial intelligence research to disrupt the current list with their citation impact.
The conclusion that science is built on a chain of incremental discoveries and techniques, not just monumental breakthroughs.
The recommendation of the Brilliant website and app for improving skills in maths, science, and computer science through interactive learning.
Transcripts
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