Publishing: The secrets of success
Peter Rodgers · Physics World · 2001
In The Elegant Universe, Brian Greene's awarding-winning book about superstrings and the search for the ultimate theory of physics, the author describes the disheartening experiences of a post-doctoral fellow working in the office next door to the noted string theorist Edward Witten at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. Greene writes about how the post-doc struggled with complex string-theory calculations at his desk while hearing the incessant rhythmic patter of Witten's keyboard, as paper after ground-breaking paper poured forth directly from mind to computer file.