What was your first job as a journalist?
I was a photojournalist for a labor newspaper in the early 2000s.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
I still use it often. "Lyubava" has been my favorite typewriter since 1995, and "Erika" - since 1999.
How is social media changing news?
Social networks have speeded up the exchange of information, but worsened its quality. I prefer full-fledged analytical columns in old-style newspapers.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
A. Agranovsky (1922-1984)
What does it mean to be a journalist?
"We journalists tell the public which way the cat is jumping. The public will take care of the cat" (Arthur Sulzberger).
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I don't use hashtags.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I prefer to be inspired by nature and human thought, rather than artificial conditions and hot events.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
I use about 20 special software packages, including mathematical modeling packages, image and signal processing software, etc.
What's your favorite social network?
ResearchGate
Who do you wish followed you?
I want to be followed by inspired enthusiasts of science and new technologies who are not afraid to boldly look at issues ignored by their proud predecessors. I am planning a series of foresight reviews and discussion articles that need readers with a fresh perspective on the problems of technological development and conceptualization in various sciences.
Why did you become a journalist?
I became a journalist, moving from the sphere of pure empirical science to the sphere of generalizations, foresight analyzes and popularization of science in Russian, Ukrainian and English.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, I didn't work for the school newspaper. However, I wrote for a number of professional newspapers and designed a number of publications during my student and graduate years.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Photoinduced Self-Organization in “Semiconductor World” [DOI: 10.20944/preprints202310.0887.v1]
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Soyez réalistes, demandez l’impossible.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Around the clock. Better late than never.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
When I was working in foresight analytics for microfluidics and bioanalytical techniques, I had a brilliant pitch for lab-on-a-chip groups.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
At the beginning of his career at the turn of 2000 and 2010s. I made a mistake - a false generalization. Under pressure from the administration, I was in a hurry to publish what was still raw material in the publication. And as a result, the series of articles was a failure, and the article had to be retracted. The moral of this situation is clear: it is necessary to avoid rushing, guided solely by the maturity of the article and the integrity of the key conclusions.
What's your favorite drink?
Milk coffee (Café au lait).
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
I love visiting the laboratories of various institutes, attending lectures and research seminars, as well as visiting archives.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I like to read books on nonlinear physics, evolutionary biochemistry, and mathematical aspects of self-organization.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
I am not Russian, although I lived in Russia. I was born in the Soviet Union. My ancestors were Ukrainians. Don't associate me with Russia.
