Category Archives: Science Culture

References from the Past

Posted on August 27, 2017 by Athene Donald

It is a standard part of our job and our responsibilities to write letters of reference for students and postdocs, past and present. But I sometimes get very frustrated by those who ask me to write a letter of support … Continue reading →

Posted in Science Culture | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Laying Ghosts to Rest

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Athene Donald

Many years ago I was invited to give one of the keynote talks at a conference in the USA. I was  young and I was flattered. It was a Conference on Polymer Physics held on the east coast of America. … Continue reading →

Posted in Equality, Science Culture | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Sound of Silence

Posted on August 5, 2017 by Athene Donald

There is the blissful silence away from email because you are lounging on a warm beach somewhere (or up a cold and wet mountain, according to taste) with your smart phone resolutely turned off. But the silence only lasts as … Continue reading →

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What Genre Do You Write In?

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Athene Donald

I’ve been reading a surprising amount about conehead crickets recently. An insect I had never previously encountered but which crossed my path, metaphorically, twice in one day due to my bad habit of reading multiple books simultaneously. On my Kindle … Continue reading →

Posted in Communicating Science, Science Culture | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on What Genre Do You Write In?

You’re Crazy, It’s Impossible

Posted on July 27, 2017 by Athene Donald

Many people get told messages like this.  You’ll never manage this, you’re insane to try that, don’t even think about starting the other…..every reader will have their own particular bête noire version of these phrases thrown at them as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Science Culture, Women in Science | Tagged , , | 2 Comments