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Monthly Archives: September 2012
In which fantasy informs reality – and saves the planet
The discussion about what fiction can do for science is best encapsulated by the often heard, emblematic plea: Where’s my bloody jetpack, then? Okay, so the technorati may still be earthbound on Segways while they wait for the price of … Continue reading
Posted in Lablit, Science-fiction, Writing
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Suburban Wildlife: Texas Spiny Lizard
In spite of (or perhaps because of) another very hot, dry summer here, my suburban backyard is a small refuge for a variety of insects, birds, and reptiles. Among the largest of the reptiles I’ve seen recently is the Texas … Continue reading
Posted in art journals, compost, reptiles, Texas_wildlife, urban wildlife
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Listen while you work
I feel sorry for PhD students who prefer to work in silence. Most students (and postdocs) will be assigned a desk in a shared office. Lab-dwelling students cannot realistically expect a quiet working environment. Jenny describes the sounds of science:
Evaluating scientists: take care
A resonant blogpost is the gift that keeps on giving. One of the latest comments in my Sick of Impact Factors polemic bemoaning the corrosive effects of journal impact factors on scientific lives provided a link to a quite wonderful … Continue reading
Posted in Impact Factors, Ronald Vale, Scientific Life
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Were You Inspired?
When someone sticks a microphone in front of you, it is all too easy for the truth to out, despite one’s media training. I have frequently been asked one particular question during interviews, but somehow this week I didn’t nuance … Continue reading
Posted in Adam Rutherford, Brian Cox, Communicating Science, Dara O Briain, Martin Rees, role model, Science Culture, Will Self
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A new really old version of The Elements
I hope you’re all fans out Tom Lehrer (“Mr. Lehrer’s muse [is] not fettered by such inhibiting factors as taste.” – NYT, apparently). Well, via those Improbable Research (“Mr. Abraham’s muse [is] not fettered by such inhibiting factors as taste.
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Running, motivation and toys
Mo Farah, double gold medal-winning distance runner, showed us this summer how important strategy is to winning a race. He runs the race from the back of the pack and then over the last 500m or so accelerates to the … Continue reading
Key Questions for Open Access Policy in the UK
It’s not even two months since the tectonic plates shifted underneath academic publishing in the UK. But in the few weeks since the government’s response to the Finch report and the announcement of the new open access (OA) policy of the UK Research Councils … Continue reading
Posted in Alma Swan, Open Access, Peter Suber, RCUK, Stevan Harnad
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Useful resources for trainees
As part of my new role as the go-to person for everything related to my department’s trainees, I’ve put together a list of resources that I thought some readers might also find useful or interesting. The list is posted at … Continue reading
Posted in career, communication, education, grant wrangling, publishing, science
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Signs
On Saturday last I hied seventh forth to the picturesque Norfolk town of North Walsham, to play a gig at the equally picturesque King’s Arms Hotel with my band Stealer. Our presence had been announced beforehand along with other forthcoming … Continue reading
Posted in clay hagesbusch, rage of stars, Science-fiction, scourge of stars, siege of stars, supernumerary digits, the sigil, Writing & Reading
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