Blog
- What to do with a two hour talk you only need twenty minutes of
August 18, 2026 · 12 min read · YouTube and Podcast Transcripts
You’ve sat through a two hour talk and left with a single takeaway that would fit into a twenty minute slot. The question isn’t how to trim the talk, but how
- Keeping a literature review from turning into a pile of tabs
August 17, 2026 · 12 min read · Research Papers and PDF Reading
A literature review stays usable when sources land in one navigable map. Build a core library, chart how studies connect, and keep the narrative current.
- Reading a PDF that was never designed to be read on screen
August 14, 2026 · 15 min read · Research Papers and PDF Reading
Many PDFs resemble print documents repurposed for screens, which can make it hard to maintain your place, see content as pages render, and scan long sections.
- Open source and self hosted knowledge tools, and what you trade for control
August 13, 2026 · 13 min read · Read Later and Personal Knowledge Library
Open source knowledge tools give you visibility into the software you run. You can inspect, modify, and tailor the system to your workflows without waiting
- Obsidian and the limits of a folder of notes
August 11, 2026 · 14 min read · Read Later and Personal Knowledge Library
Obsidian centers on how ideas connect, not just where you file them. Folders offer a familiar boundary, but the real strength lies in spotting relationships
- What a personal knowledge management system is actually supposed to do
August 10, 2026 · 13 min read · Read Later and Personal Knowledge Library
You already read a lot. You want to remember more of it and turn what you read into things you can act on. A personal knowledge management system is not
- Choosing a personal knowledge management app you will still use in a year
August 7, 2026 · 13 min read · Read Later and Personal Knowledge Library
Choosing a personal knowledge management app you will still use in a year is about long term viability, not just features today.
- Getting more out of a podcast than you would from listening once
August 6, 2026 · 13 min read · YouTube and Podcast Transcripts
At Omphalis, a podcast is more than a single listening event. It becomes a starting point for deeper understanding and a seed for a structured knowledge map
- How to actually finish the research papers you save
August 5, 2026 · 13 min read · Research Papers and PDF Reading
Start with a full audit of what you have: writings, data, and readings. This is the essential precondition for finishing a PhD or any research paper.