Takeaway: Be open-minded about the medium of information transmission. Books and lectures are what we're accustomed to today. Are there other forms (perhaps non-mainstream ones or undiscovered ones) that could be better?
For instance:
Academia is accustomed to publishing in the form of papers (e.g. pdf). This form has fixed margins, cannot contain animations or interactive widgets. Would publishing in an environment that allow for more flexibility be better for communicating their achievements and ideas?
> Academia is accustomed to publishing in the form of papers (e.g. pdf). This form has fixed margins, cannot contain animations or interactive widgets. Would publishing in an environment that allow for more flexibility be better for communicating their achievements and ideas?
I think it certainly would but we don't have a robust and time-tested format that allows us to carry scientific research in rich media across long periods of time, i.e. centuries or millennia. The simpler the medium the more robust it is to the erosive forces of time. So far, black ink on white paper is the winner here.
For instance:
Academia is accustomed to publishing in the form of papers (e.g. pdf). This form has fixed margins, cannot contain animations or interactive widgets. Would publishing in an environment that allow for more flexibility be better for communicating their achievements and ideas?