Author Archives: Athene Donald

Heroic Genius or a Distraction from Reality?

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Athene Donald

This week I strayed from my occasional home on the Guardian blogs to a mainstream print newspaper, writing a piece for the Telegraph to follow on from the Stephen Hawking Grand Design programme launch I wrote about briefly before. My … Continue reading →

Posted in Communicating Science, Education | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Is it Ever Safe to Shed the L-plates?

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Athene Donald

I well remember that moment of transition when moving from undergraduate to postgraduate; that moment when my tutor asked me to call them by their first name (perhaps a rite of passage no longer so exciting, since first names are … Continue reading →

Posted in Science Culture | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Falling Down the Cracks: The Challenge for Interdisciplinary Science

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Athene Donald

Let’s hear it for interdisciplinary science. Everyone says what a good idea it is. The research councils strategic plans tend to laud it. And yet, and yet….Do they mean it? Last week I attended an excellent conference in Oxford. Entitled … Continue reading →

Posted in Interdisciplinary Science | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Were You Inspired?

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Athene Donald

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 Communicating Science, Science Culture | Tagged , , , , , | 25 Comments

Blood and More Blood

Posted on September 3, 2012 by Athene Donald

Gonville and Caius College in Cambridge is understandably proud of its tradition in medicine. One of its illustrious alumni is William Harvey, who studied there in the 1590’s before going on to publish evidence to demonstrate the circulation of blood. … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, History of Science | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment