Monthly Archives: January 2014

Unfinished Business

Posted on 11 January 2014 by Stephen

I’ve reached that age where my eye is drawn to the obituary column every time I open the newspaper. It hasn’t been a conscious move but, having arrived at my fiftieth year, I am increasingly aware of the hopes of … Continue reading →

Posted in age, philosophy, rambling, Scientific Life | Comments Off on Unfinished Business

Paperless at last

Posted on 8 January 2014 by Frank Norman

1 January 2014 marks a watershed moment for my library: I have cancelled the last of our print journal subscriptions. Back in 1995 we subscribed to our first online journal, Journal of Biological Chemistry, from Highwire Press. I still have the email … Continue reading →

Posted in Journal publishing | Comments Off on Paperless at last

Come and work with me in Frankfurt!

Posted on 8 January 2014 by Bob O'H

We’ve got an EXCITING(!) EXHILARATING(!!) ENTERTAINING(!!!) EXASPERATING(!

Posted in Ecology, Science Blogging, statistics | Comments Off on Come and work with me in Frankfurt!

In which self-help goes all Jurassic on your ass

Posted on 7 January 2014 by Jennifer Rohn

I don’t even know where to begin. How is this analogy even remotely helpful to those of us currently living in the Cenozoic Era?

Posted in Silliness, Writing | Comments Off on In which self-help goes all Jurassic on your ass

Destroying the last shreds of Mr E Man’s anonymity for the sake of a good pun

Posted on 6 January 2014 by Cath@VWXYNot?

Me: “Have you seen my bookmark?” Him: “It’s in your hand” Me: “…” Me: “No, not ‘have you seen my book, Mark?

Posted in fun with language, Silliness | Comments Off on Destroying the last shreds of Mr E Man’s anonymity for the sake of a good pun

Bust the Heroic Myth in Science

Posted on 5 January 2014 by Athene Donald

‘Paul Nurse believes in heroes of science’ was a line in my Twitter feed one morning recently ‘and so do I’ continued Roger Highfield, who gave the Wilkins-Bernal-Medawar Prize Lecture  at the Royal Society on this very topic last year. … Continue reading →

Posted in heroes, Paul Nurse, Peter Higgs, Research, Roger Highfield, Science Culture | Comments Off on Bust the Heroic Myth in Science

In which I have too much to lose

Posted on 3 January 2014 by Jennifer Rohn

There’s an amusing adage I’ve been hearing about babies all my life: They make ‘em cute so you won’t kill ‘em. The F1, last week Evolutionarily, there may be something to that. If it was anything other than your own … Continue reading →

Posted in Domestic bliss, staring into the abyss | Comments Off on In which I have too much to lose

A night at the opera – or how the myth of the love potion seduces both writers and scientists

Posted on 2 January 2014 by Philip Strange

The Glyndebourne Touring Opera visits Plymouth in the South West once a year and it’s a real treat to go to their productions. This year we went to see Donizetti’s frothy but very popular L’elisir d’amore. This was beautifully sung … Continue reading →

Posted in claus wedekind, cuddle hormone, donizetti, glyndebourne, glyndebourne touring opera, Guest posts, harry potter, human monogamy, l'elisir d'amore, love potion, opera, oxytocin, romantic attraction, sweaty t-shirt experiment, tristan and isolde | Comments Off on A night at the opera – or how the myth of the love potion seduces both writers and scientists

Science, Poetry and Gender

Posted on 1 January 2014 by Athene Donald

Not so long ago I gave a talk in Oxford about why I believe it is important for the public not to feel so distanced from science and maths that they are comfortable saying ‘I never could do maths at … Continue reading →

Posted in Caspar Henderson, Communicating Science, Mary Midgley, Nicholas Harberd, richard dawkins | Comments Off on Science, Poetry and Gender

It Has Not Escaped Our Notice #131

Posted on 1 January 2014 by Henry Gee

If you’re planning to visit the Cromer Enormoplex soon, be careful where you park your backside. Thank you. This photo courtesy of Mrs C. M. of Cromer.

Posted in Cinema, Cromer, Silliness | Comments Off on It Has Not Escaped Our Notice #131