Category Archives: Research

On Being Inefficient

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Athene Donald

Academia is a great place for being judged on outputs, and I’m not just referring to the kind of output relevant to the REF. But, be it papers written, worked examples provided, grants submitted or students tutored, we are expected … Continue reading →

Posted in Research, Science Culture | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

With Fresh Ears, Eyes and Hands

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Athene Donald

In the run-up to Easter I happened to catch part of a broadcast of Bach’s St Matthew Passion. This is a work I was steeped in as a teenager, attending the annual Bach Choir’s performance at the Royal Festival Hall … Continue reading →

Posted in Interdisciplinary Science, Research | Tagged , , | Comments Off on With Fresh Ears, Eyes and Hands

Is (or was) your PhD an Ordeal?

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Athene Donald

If you answered yes to the question in the title, a recent report suggests you may be a chemist, and more specifically a female chemist.  A study carried out by the UKRC for the RSC about the PhD experience for … Continue reading →

Posted in Research, Science Culture, Women in Science | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Heroines and Role Models

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Athene Donald

Recently I had a rather upset email from a younger colleague who was worried because she had publicly disagreed with me in a discussion and feared she had been ‘strident’.  What made it worse, she said, was that I had … Continue reading →

Posted in Research, Women in Science | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Seminars that Bomb

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Athene Donald

It’s a strange thing how giving essentially the same talk at different venues/to different audiences can lead to such variable responses. The reasons for this are many and complex, and not always under one’s control; sometimes it is far from … Continue reading →

Posted in Interdisciplinary Science, Research, Science Culture | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments