Author Archives: Athene Donald

Do Scientists Believe in Luck?

I wrote previously about the results of the national ASSET survey into attitudes of men and women working in SET departments. Recently I have been looking at the results specifically for my own university. It is harder to make sense … Continue reading

Posted in Research, Science Culture | Tagged , , , | 19 Comments

Darwin Didn’t Always get it Right

My Christmas reading included two very different books, one by Tim Birkhead and one edited by Bill Bryson, both gloriously illustrated with historical paintings. Reading these in quick succession over a short period of time caused me to reflect on … Continue reading

Posted in History of Science, Science Culture | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Academic Life and Children: Fitting it All In

I have finally got around to finishing a book I started months ago called Opting Out – Why women really quit careers and head home. Written by Pamela Stone in 2007 it analyses the response of her interviews with 50+ … Continue reading

Posted in Women in Science, Women's Issues | Tagged , , , , | 23 Comments

New Year’s Day, New Year’s Resolutions

I’m no fan of New Year’s resolutions; they’re bound to fail.  I probably discovered this at the tender age of about 7 when I set myself to lose my lisp. It took a lot longer than I had expected  – … Continue reading

Posted in Science Culture, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

Lies, Damned Lies – and Rank-ordered Lists

The end of the year is traditionally the time for lists remembering the year just gone: lists of those who died (and, for so-called stars, their marriages and divorces too), events that happened, films that bombed or triumphed, public gaffes … Continue reading

Posted in Biological Physics, Interdisciplinary Science, Science Culture, Science Funding | Tagged , , | 8 Comments