Thinking and note taking system of inventors, scientists and authors

1. Categorization Based on Thinking and Note-Taking Abilities (Across Any Timeline)

The thinking and note-taking habits of inventors, scientists, and authors reveal distinct patterns, with some overlap. These figures, from historical icons like Leonardo da Vinci to modern luminaries like Yuval Noah Harari, vary in their reliance on external systems versus mental discipline. Their approaches can be grouped by how they capture, organize, and synthesize ideas, reflecting a spectrum from minimal to highly structured methods. Inventors - Mental Visualizers (Minimal or No Notes): - Nikola Tesla (1856–1943): Relied on mental visualization to simulate inventions (e.g., AC motor) before prototyping, using minimal notes for validation. His thinking model was systems-based, breaking problems into parts for recombination. - Elon Musk (b. 1971): Avoids notes entirely, using exceptional memory and first-principles thinking to deconstruct problems into fundamentals (e.g., physics for SpaceX rockets). He employs "semantic trees" to prioritize core concepts. - Characteristics: Emphasis on internal processing; notes are secondary or absent, prioritizing rapid ideation and iteration. - Impact: High originality but risks losing ideas without records; suited for big-picture breakthroughs. - Structured Documenters: - Thomas Edison (1847–1931): Used over five million pages of lab notebooks, organized by indexes and project numbers, to track experiments and patents. His empirical dragnet captured failures and successes systematically. - Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519): Filled 13,000+ notebook pages with sketches, mirror writing, and mixed-topic notes, fostering interdisciplinary connections (e.g., anatomy to flying machines). - Characteristics: Detailed, often visual note-taking; systems enable scalability and legal protection. - Impact: Supports prolific output and collaboration; reduces cognitive load but requires time for upkeep. Scientists - Empirical Organizers: - Charles Darwin (1809–1882): Used topic-specific portfolios and loose slips for flexible reorganization, indexing book annotations to synthesize On the Origin of Species. His method balanced structure with adaptability. - Katalin Karikó (b. 1955): Maintained detailed experimental logs to track mRNA research failures, treating notes as learning tools. Her resilience model turned setbacks into progress. - Characteristics: Structured notes tied to data; focus on iterative learning and evidence synthesis. - Impact: Enables complex discoveries by organizing vast data; time-intensive but critical for rigor. - Holistic Synthesizers: - Jennifer Doudna (b. 1964): Carries a simple black notebook for ideas during meetings, annotating papers holistically to connect findings (e.g., CRISPR applications). Her problem-solving approach externalizes puzzles. - Albert Einstein (1879–1955): Relied on thought experiments and minimal jotted notes, using visualization and combinatory play (e.g., music-inspired ideas) to develop relativity. - Characteristics: Light note-taking with emphasis on mental synthesis; notes capture insights rather than raw data. - Impact: Fosters breakthroughs through intuitive connections; less systematic but creative. Authors - Reflective Collectors: - Virginia Woolf (1882–1941): Kept diaries and reading notebooks as "practice grounds" for style, capturing fleeting thoughts to craft stream-of-consciousness novels like Mrs. Dalloway. - John Milton (1608–1674): Compiled a commonplace book from 80+ authors, assimilating ideas without citations to fuel Paradise Lost. His notes were a mental digest for synthesis. - Characteristics: Chronological or thematic collections; notes as raw material for narrative. - Impact: Builds emotional depth and resilience; risks becoming disorganized without clear retrieval. - Structured Storytellers: - Malcolm Gladwell (b. 1963): Uses index cards and graph paper to structure narratives, collecting anecdotes to craft books like Outliers. His thin-slicing model balances intuition and deliberation. - Elizabeth Gilbert (b. 1969): Employs a "Book in a Box" with index cards organized by theme/character, paired with mental drafts for novels like City of Girls. - Characteristics: Organized systems for creative output; notes as scaffolds for storytelling. - Impact: Streamlines writing process; enhances audience engagement but requires setup time. - Minimalist Synthesizers: - Yuval Noah Harari (b. 1976): Reads without notes, using meditation and "post-reading torrents" to write books like Sapiens. Heavy deletion refines output, prioritizing mental clarity. - Characteristics: Minimal notes; relies on disciplined thinking (e.g., meditation) for synthesis. - Impact: High originality and focus; demands strong cognitive training to avoid loss of ideas. Key Insight: Across fields, top performers lean on disciplined thinking—whether through mental models (Tesla, Musk), structured records (Edison, Darwin), or reflective synthesis (Woolf, Harari). Note-taking varies from nonexistent to elaborate but serves to offload cognition, enable serendipity, and amplify output. The most effective systems align with personal workflows, not tool complexity.

2. Categorization Based on Digital Tools for Note-Taking (Last 20 Years, 2005–2025)

In the last 20 years, digital tools have become prevalent, but top figures often stick to simple or no tools, prioritizing mental training. Below are those explicitly using Apple Notes, Google Docs, text files, Evernote, Notion, or Obsidian, as discussed, with broader trends for context. Inventors and scientists show limited adoption of these specific tools, while authors and productivity experts embrace them. Inventors - No Confirmed Use of Specified Tools: - Elon Musk: No note-taking; relies on memory and mental simulation for Tesla/SpaceX innovations. - Tim Berners-Lee: Uses custom hypertext (Enquire, pre-2005) but no mention of Apple Notes, Google Docs, etc. His networked notes prefigure modern tools like Obsidian. - James Dyson: Sketches in engineering logs or basic drawing software, not specified as Apple Notes or similar. - Trends: Inventors favor proprietary systems or minimal notes. Some use Post-it notes or basic apps, but no evidence links top inventors to the listed tools. Scientists - No Confirmed Use of Specified Tools: - Jennifer Doudna: Uses a physical black notebook and paper annotations; implied use of reference managers (e.g., Zotero, not listed) but not Apple Notes, Notion, etc. - Katalin Karikó: Detailed experimental logs, likely analog or basic digital (unspecified); no mention of Evernote or others. - Atul Gawande: Checklists in OneNote or paper, not explicitly Apple Notes or Google Docs. - Trends: Scientists use reference managers like Zotero/Mendeley for annotations, sometimes integrating Evernote or Notion. Obsidian is gaining traction for networked notes, but top figures stick to lab-specific or analog methods. Authors - Confirmed Users of Specified Tools: - Tiago Forte (Building a Second Brain, 2022): Uses Evernote for PARA method (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives), Notion for collaborative PKM, and Obsidian for networked Zettelkasten notes. His system emphasizes capturing and organizing for productivity. - Ali Abdaal (Feel-Good Productivity, 2023): Relies on Notion as an all-in-one workspace for notes, to-do lists, and study materials, building a digital "second brain." - Sönke Ahrens (How to Take Smart Notes, 2017): Uses Obsidian for Zettelkasten, leveraging markdown and graph views for academic writing and teaching. - Yuval Noah Harari: Uses Microsoft Word (similar to Google Docs) for writing torrents, evolving lecture notes into books; no direct mention of listed tools but aligns with simple word processors. - Malcolm Gladwell: Uses Scrivener (not listed)