Monthly Archives: June 2013

Null Hypothesis

Posted on 19 June 2013 by Henry Gee

I am somewhat confused by a recent post in Teh Grauniad by our colleague Athene Donald. Part of my confusion stemmed from the fact that I had walked into an argument that was already in full swing – Donald’s piece … Continue reading →

Posted in antisemitism, Athene Donald, gender balance, racism, Royal Society, Science Is Vital, sexism | Comments Off on Null Hypothesis

Father’s Day

Posted on 16 June 2013 by Austin

I must admit I hadn’t noticed it was Father’s Day until I switched on the computer this morning, what with us being a notoriously ‘Something’s Day’-averse lot at Chez Elliott. I was, BTW, not woken with croissants and coffee. let … Continue reading →

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Peggy Wheelock-the ultimate in research and mentorship

Posted on 15 June 2013 by Steve Caplan

This blog has been long in the making. Long, because until recently, I’m not sure I would have been able to type out these words without flooding my keyboard with tears. But the time has come for me to write … Continue reading →

Posted in education, leadership, mentorship, Nebraska Center for Cellular Signaling, Peggy Wheelock, Research, science | Comments Off on Peggy Wheelock-the ultimate in research and mentorship

The Two Opposing Sides of the Desk

Posted on 15 June 2013 by Athene Donald

At different times in one’s life one is more likely to be an interviewer or an interviewee, but these things are never immutable. As it happens I have been the subject of several interviews recently, something which has made me … Continue reading →

Posted in Communicating Science, interviews, Science Culture, The Life Scientific | Comments Off on The Two Opposing Sides of the Desk

It Has Not Escaped Our Notice #7

Posted on 11 June 2013 by Henry Gee

This picture has been the subject of a number of eructations on social media recently. I felt it too good to pass up. I regret that I cannot find a credit for it (if anyone can find this out and … Continue reading →

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Fitting Interpersonal Skills into Academia

Posted on 9 June 2013 by Athene Donald

There is much talk in higher education about the importance of transferable skills. For a PhD student this means that you receive training in things beyond your own particular field of research. Typically this would include being required to consider … Continue reading →

Posted in management style, research student, Schlumberger Faculty of the Future, Science Culture, team building | Comments Off on Fitting Interpersonal Skills into Academia

Iain Banks (1954-2013)

Posted on 9 June 2013 by Henry Gee

All things must pass, but some things pass too soon. Two months ago, Scottish author Iain Banks announced that he had terminal cancer and had at best a year to live. He is now dead, at 59. So passes a … Continue reading →

Posted in Against A Dark Background, Complicity, Consider Phlebas, Iain Banks, Iain M Banks, Matter, Science-fiction, The Player of Games, The Wasp Factory, Use of Weapons, Writing & Reading | Comments Off on Iain Banks (1954-2013)

The curious case of the barbecue and the toilet seat.

Posted on 7 June 2013 by Philip Strange

The prospect of a weekend with some warmer weather sends us Brits in to a frenzy of outdoor eating. So, in this spirit, and ignoring the light rain, I went searching for our barbecue and found it under a pile … Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Mail, Fun, Guest posts, hygeine, misleading, poor journalism, Pseudoscience | Comments Off on The curious case of the barbecue and the toilet seat.

Archicebus

Posted on 7 June 2013 by Henry Gee

The course of the news was slightly perturbed recently by the description of the 55-million-year-old fossil primate Archicebus achilles, which was published in Nature. (DISCLAIMER: I was the handling editor, and steered the paper from submission, through peer review, until … Continue reading →

Posted in ancestor, Archicebus, Darwinius, evolution, haplorrhine, missing link, phylogeny, primates, Science Blogging, Science Is Vital, strepsirrhine, Teilhardina | Comments Off on Archicebus

In which we reach the brink – chemists add their voices

Posted on 6 June 2013 by Jennifer Rohn

As 26 June draws nigh, I’m starting to get a little nervous about the outcome of the UK Treasury’s decision on the 2015-2016 budget, which will decide how much public spending will be allocated to the science budget. Science is … Continue reading →

Posted in Science Funding, Science Is Vital | Comments Off on In which we reach the brink – chemists add their voices