@vicgrinberg Why is so much academic writing impenetrable? Especially the prose in English journals (though it’s equally true for scientific journals). I produced the Folger Shakespeare Library podcast. Before that I made documentaries about NSF-funded scientists. I read tons of articles. At least 60% of them verged on incomprehensible. Oh, how I wish NotebookLM had been invented when I was doing this work.

@Spacehistory likely because they are written with an audience of colleague in mind with whom they share a lot of context and background that a random reader from outside the field will lack. My writing in scientific papers and in scientific outreach books is very different, but so are the depth and intricacy of concepts I convey.

@vicgrinberg A person needs to be taught to write like that, though. I didn’t get an advanced degree; I went straight to work. Are people actively taught to write like this in graduate school? If so, what’s the rationale? Is it exclusivity, because it feels like that’s what it is? If you write like a Member of the Club, then you’re a member of the club.

@Spacehistory @vicgrinberg part of it is trying to get the most information in the least space possible. Part is that writing introductory material takes time and a lot of this work is already volunteer time. Part is that reviewers might feel insulted if you take time to explain basic things the may they already know and so their feedback is better/less picky if you sound really technical. Part of it is that's just how professionals within the field tend to talk to each other about their science