Monthly Archives: May 2026

In which we keep below decks – for now

Posted on 31 May 2026 by Jennifer Rohn

Everyone I know in academia is hanging by a thread. The profession has always been fraught, but in the past few years I’ve sensed an edge of desperation in many of my colleagues, especially those who heavily teach. We have … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in academia, Research, staring into the abyss, Teaching, The profession of science | Leave a comment

Work Experience

Posted on 31 May 2026 by Athene Donald

Alan Milburn’s interim diagnostic report, Young People and Work, looking into the causes of the substantial increase in NEETs (18-24 year olds Not in Education, Employment or Training), makes sober reading. The causes are many, across multiple Government departments and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in careers, domesticity, education, Flatford Mill, Milburn Review, NEETs, snowflake | Leave a comment

What I Read In May

Posted on 31 May 2026 by Henry Gee

Featuring the struggle to reach the top of coming up to, notwithstanding inasmuch as which I just about manage to summarise the books I have read listened to consumed before the relevant month is out. The first two and the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Andy Weir, bookish, bookworm, dead line, jack reacher, lee child, Liz Carlyle, Lucy Mangan, present danger, project Hail Mary, Stella Rimington, the martian, Writing & Reading | Leave a comment

In which no scientist is an island – but that’s what we signed up for

Posted on 16 May 2026 by Jennifer Rohn

I’ve washed up on the shores of another weekend, almost limp after two weeks of protracted stress. Throughout this, my unsettled, cortisol-fuelled moods have mirrored the erratic nature of the recent weather: violent cloudbursts, hailstorms, rainbows, periods of brilliant sunshine … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in academia, Research, Scientific papers, Scientific thinking, Teaching, The profession of science, work-life balance | Leave a comment

Handel’s Messiah

Posted on 14 May 2026 by Frank Norman

I’m having a big clearout at home and have been discarding most of my collection of old concert programmes. These are a mix of concerts that I’ve sung in and concerts that I’ve attended, going back to about 1973. It’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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What I Read In March And April

Posted on 11 May 2026 by Henry Gee

Oh, gosh, I wrote somewhere that a sure sign of unwillingness to write is an untended blog. I really ought to have qualified this. I’m just about to almost fast approaching coming to the top of another book deal – … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Jealousy, Bullying, Harassment and Other Bad Behaviour

Posted on 10 May 2026 by Athene Donald

Recently I sat down to dinner with two old friends, one male,one female. Our conversation turned to harassment and what emerged was pretty grim. The man referred to an incident when an older and powerful woman had groped him during … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in competition, insecurity, power imbalance, Science Culture | Leave a comment

The Desolation of Success

Posted on 3 May 2026 by Athene Donald

Does this phrase strike a chord with you? Apparently, it first appeared in Peter Matthiessen’s book, The Snow Leopard, but I came across it quoted in Lindy Elkins-Tanton’s moving memoir Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman. As she … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in careers, failure, Lindy Elkinst-Tanton, nature, Science Culture | Comments Off on The Desolation of Success

In which the road forks and the future splinters

Posted on 2 May 2026 by Jennifer Rohn

It’s that time of year when prospective undergraduates are considering their various offers to study at university. As the Admissions Tutor for a large BSc programme, I’ve been spending a lot of time fielding hundreds of queries by email. And … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in academia, careers, Nostalgia, Research, The profession of science, Women in science | Comments Off on In which the road forks and the future splinters