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Author Archives: Athene Donald
Unconscious Bias 2.0
‘Unconscious bias’ has become very much part of the conscious process that many organisations try to bring to bear on their decision-making, be it with regard to promotions or appointments. However, what do they mean by it and how do … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in appointment committees, CV, Equality, promotion, publishing, Science Culture, Women in science
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Cynical and Irritable
‘This is not an era in which good things are taken at face value. We are cynical, irritable and tired, and if there is a bad intention to be read into anything, someone will scratch away at it until they … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in committees, pandemic, resilience, Science Culture
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Scientists Who Stand Up to be Counted
In the UK the pandemic is rushing towards its second anniversary, changing, but no less dangerous for the life we used to think was ‘normal’, and indeed our very lives. During this time, as a scientist I have had confidence … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in abuse, Communicating Science, David Spiegelhalter, Devi Sridhar, pandemic, Sander van der Linden, Science Culture
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Self Confidence Amidst a Pandemic
I am sure readers share my gloom at the necessity of re-introducing tighter restrictions in our lives as Omicron spreads. It’s almost two years since the virus first swam into public view in the UK, twenty-one months since academics rapidly … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in Communicating Science, ECRs, Omicron, Science Culture, seminars, webinars, Zoom
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Level Up and Multiply
As we await the delayed Levelling Up White paper, to my mind it is encouraging that Michael Gove (Secretary of State for Levelling up, Housing and Communities) is drawing together a cabinet committee to focus on these matters, drawing membership … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in education, Levelling Up, Science Funding, UKSPF, upskilling
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Did Humphry Davy suffer from Impostor Syndrome?
When I think of Humphry Davy, I think of a scientist, someone who became a star attraction during the early days of the Royal Institution and inventor of the eponymous Davy Lamp (although at the time others accused him of … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in Alice Jenkins, History of Science, Humphry Davy, Jan Golinski, Richard Holmes, Science Culture, Zooniverse
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Skills, FE and Levelling Up
As we await various key Government papers – specifically the long-awaited response to the Augar Report and the Levelling Up White paper – the news is full of labour shortages. Whereas delivering some of Augar’s recommendations about funding for FE … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in Augar Review, BTECs, careers, education, productivity, Science Funding, T Levels, technicians
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Vaccines, Emotion and the Status of Women
I’ve been catching up with some reading this weekend: a year’s worth of (hard copy) THE issues, picked up now I’m finally able to get back into my department, and Vaxxers – sub-titled The Inside Story of the Oxford Astrazeneca … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in Cath Green, Communicating Science, families, Sarah Gilbert, vaccination, Vaxxers, Women in science
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The Problems of Measurement
How should we measure what is a good outcome from a university education? As David Willetts puts it in his latest report published through the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) ‘The Treasury cast their beady eye over the evidence and … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in careers, education, Further Education, inequality, mobility, skills
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University Traditions
This is the time of year when students are in the process of returning to their many campuses (or going for the first time as Freshers). Cambridge University term starts later than many, and as a result few students are … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in admission to degrees, education, Freshers, Girton College, matriculation, Senate House
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