Category Archives: Science Culture

Surviving the Postdoc Experience – or Not

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Athene Donald

Last night I talked at an RSC/IOP event launching a report (Mapping the Future: Physics and Chemistry Researchers’ Experiences and Career Intentions) based on a survey of 776 postdocs. The report illustrates some interesting differences between the cultures experienced in … Continue reading →

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

Real Life Barbie Dolls

Posted on April 10, 2011 by Athene Donald

Have you come across the T shirts with the encouraging words I’m too PRETTY to do MATH blazoned across them in cute pink lettering? No, nor had I until they were brought to my attention by a member of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Equality, Science Culture | Tagged , , , , , | 25 Comments

I can hear you’re getting emotional

Posted on April 2, 2011 by Athene Donald

In the comments for my last post, J0ns1m0ns remarked that he thought the issue of mode of speaking at committee meetings was perhaps a bit of a red herring, but I fear inappropriate remarks and behaviour persist and shouldn’t, indeed … Continue reading →

Posted in Equality, Science Culture, Women in Science | Tagged , , | 38 Comments

Onions and Unconscious Bias

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Athene Donald

I have written before about my work on carrots, and it’s also the case that I have published on onions, in rather the same spirit as the carrot work: an environmental scanning electron microscopy study of onion failure, as well … Continue reading →

Posted in Interdisciplinary Science, Science Culture | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Read the Question

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Athene Donald

One of the first things we tell children as they start to do exams is ‘read the question’. As they get more sophisticated we go further, and say think about what the examiners want and how to express key points … Continue reading →

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