Mission: Writing to Learn

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It's no coincidence that William Zinsser's Writing to Learn (1988) is the first book featured in the Bookshelf section of this Substack. His ideas on learning through writing align closely with my own and encapsulate the aim of this project. Here, I am writing to learn—sharpening my thinking, refining my understanding, and hopefully bringing others along for the ride into my research field: Generative AI, Cybersecurity, and Defense.

In the fall of 2024, I began my PhD at Linköping University, Sweden. Like any PhD student, much of my time is devoted to writing for academia. But I also believe we are responsible for writing for a broader audience—bridging the gap between research and society. Making science more accessible isn’t just a service to others; it’s a way to deepen my own understanding.

Richard Feynman famously argued that if you can't explain something simply, you don't truly understand it. In academic circles, complexity is sometimes valued for its own sake, but I intend to take the opposite approach. By adhering to the so-called Feynman Technique, I will challenge myself to clarify, distill, and make my work available to more people.

Thinking Out Loud

This Substack will document my research journey, but it won’t stop there. I read widely—beyond academic papers—and will use this space to explore important research, societal shifts, and ideas worth understanding. Expect a mix of explained research, insights from popular science, productivity hacks, and reflections on technology and security.

If you're curious about these topics, I hope you'll join me in learning out loud.