Monthly Archives: November 2011

Innovating with Sex and Gender in Mind

Posted on 6 November 2011 by Athene Donald

If you are designing seat-belts, who do you design them for? Or if teaching aspiring doctors the symptoms of heart disease and the presentation of heart attacks, whose symptoms do you describe? Clearly the correct answer to both questions should … Continue reading →

Posted in design, gender, Londa Schiebinger, Research, Science Culture, seatbelts, sex | Comments Off on Innovating with Sex and Gender in Mind

Motorsport, Astrophysics, and a Nobel Laureate (peripherally) [10]

Posted on 6 November 2011 by Richard Wintle

One nice aspect of living (virtually) at Occam’s Typewriter is the diversity of authors. Though many (most? all?) have backgrounds present employment in science, the variety of topics in any given week provides for some fun reading. But there are … Continue reading →

Posted in ALMS, American Le Mans Series, autosports, careers, data analysis, Hobbies, motorsport, Photography, racing | Comments Off on Motorsport, Astrophysics, and a Nobel Laureate (peripherally) [10]

Hockey pool, week 5

Posted on 5 November 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

First of all, many thanks to ScientistMother and Chall for hosting weeks 3 and 4, respectively! And now for the Week 5 update: Graph made in Google Docs, 'cos I can't figure out Numbers and don't have Excel at home … Continue reading →

Posted in hockey pool | Comments Off on Hockey pool, week 5

Perspectives from Big Pharma [3]

Posted on 5 November 2011 by Erika Cule

I came to research in statistical genetics from an undergraduate degree in biochemistry. I learnt statistics as applied to genetics; perhaps a student who studied statistics of itself would have a perspective that is broader than my own. I was … Continue reading →

Posted in PhD, science careers | Comments Off on Perspectives from Big Pharma [3]

Gratuitous Silly Video

Posted on 4 November 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

‘cos it’s Friday. A friend emailed this to me during the hockey game last night, and even though the Canucks were losing 5-1 I spent the next few minutes LMAO.

Posted in Music, Silliness, sport, video | Comments Off on Gratuitous Silly Video

Let’s democratise the bejesus out of libel reform [32]

Posted on 3 November 2011 by Stephen

This week the Guardian made the astonishing revelation that a man who is heir to the throne by an accident of birth and who is the representative on Earth of precisely no-one has been enjoying the right of veto over … Continue reading →

Posted in defamation, democracy, Libel Reform, Parliament, Science & Politics | Comments Off on Let’s democratise the bejesus out of libel reform [32]

On nominations

Posted on 3 November 2011 by rpg

There’s no way to read the full article without a multi-hundred pound subscription, but I see that Research Fortnight UK has announced its nominations for the Research Fortnight award: Policy stars shortlisted for Research Fortnight award 02-11-2011 The chief executive … Continue reading →

Posted in Jenny Rohn, People, Research Fortnight | Comments Off on On nominations

Futures?

Posted on 3 November 2011 by KristiV

*cough* *coughcoughcough* *cough!*

Posted in cities, climate change, coastline erosion, Galveston, seawall, sustainability | Comments Off on Futures?

Vegas

Posted on 2 November 2011 by Henry Gee

I’ve just arrived in Vegas for the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. This is the view from my hotel bedroom window. No, seriously. I’ve never been to Vegas before, and as for first impressions, I have … Continue reading →

Posted in bling, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, kitch, paleontology, puddles three and a half, Science Is Vital, Silliness, vegas | Comments Off on Vegas

Levelling the Playing Field

Posted on 2 November 2011 by Athene Donald

This article has been published in the November issue of Physics World. The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE),which has been used to measure the quality of UK research for more than 20 years, has now morphed into the equally clunky sounding … Continue reading →

Posted in consultation, Equality, HEFCE, maternity leave, outputs, REF, Research, Women in science | Comments Off on Levelling the Playing Field