In physics we have the concept of particles with names like electrons,
photons, phonons, gluons, etc. While I was doing my PhD, one of my
professors - a good friend of mine - introduced me to a new kind of
particle, the publon. A publon is a hypothetical particle representing
the minimum unit of publishable material. It’s a joke in academic
circles about the relentless pressure to publish more. And that is where
Publons came from.