Monthly Archives: January 2011

In which we fail to meet expectations

Sometimes you find yourself in a crowd, experiencing the unreal sense that you’re wearing a disguise, or acting out a part in a play, or watching yourself in a web-cam feed. Last week I attended the biennial meeting of Wellcome … Continue reading

Posted in Careers, Staring into the abyss, The profession of science | 35 Comments

In which I marvel at a serious swag #fail

Who doesn’t love a good conference swag bag? Yes, I know it’s frequently full of useless tat destined to go straight into the hotel bin. But what jolts the adrenalin as you paw through the bulging canvas sack in your … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 19 Comments

In which I tire of the old paradigms

Successful moments in scientific research are famously rare, and people deal with them in various personal ways. Many treat a promising experimental with suspicion bordering on paranoia, refusing to believe what is right before their eyes because an experiment couldn’t … Continue reading

Posted in Scientific method, The profession of science | Tagged , , | 53 Comments