Author Archives: Athene Donald

Botanists in the Family

It is difficult to know where to begin with this post, since several strands have got intertwined. I guess the prompt for this is, as with my last post, the meeting at the Royal Society celebrating women from the past … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Ellen Wilmott, Erasmus Darwin, Francis Boott, Lucy Hardcastle, Women in science | Comments Off on Botanists in the Family

Where Were the Women?

I know that many people feel the Royal Society is a stuffy, white male institution, unwelcoming to women and other minorities, but I cannot agree. It may have had a long history of excluding women, but no more and, in … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Eleanor Ormerod, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Royal Society, Stella Butler, Women in science | Comments Off on Where Were the Women?

The Importance of Community

I mentioned the book by Jeffrey Abbott and Andrew Maynard, AI and the Science of Being Human, in a previous blogpost. I love its optimism about how all of us could work with AI without letting it take us over … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in AI, Brian Pippard, Ray Dolby Centre, Research, Science Culture, screens, tea break | Comments Off on The Importance of Community

Being Practical (Or Not)

Last week I attended a workshop on the future of practical science in schools at the Royal Society.  Driven in part by the findings of the 2023 Science Education Tracker, that students at secondary school were frustrated they had little … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Curriculum and Assessment Review, education, Science Education Tracker, teachers | Comments Off on Being Practical (Or Not)

Is That What Makes Me Human?

I have been reading the recently published book AI and the Art of Being Human by Jeffrey Abbott and Andrew Maynard. I found it a fascinating – and indeed optimistic – book, which prompted a lot of reflection, although not … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in AI, Anthony Maynard, memories, Peter Scott, Science Culture | Comments Off on Is That What Makes Me Human?

Civic Responsibilities

The University Vice Chancellor Debbie Prentice, with Lord Patrick Vallance and Minister Pennycook at this week’s Innovate Cambridge Summit This week saw various significant announcements for and from the University of Cambridge, the Cambridge region and the wider so-called Ox-Cam … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in apprentices, careers, Equality, inequality, Innovate Cambridge, Patrick Vallance, transparency | Comments Off on Civic Responsibilities

Mrs Handley and the Whippets (Learning to be Difficult)

No, not the name of a pop-group (although it might be quite a good one), but an episode from my early life. In later life I’m sure people had me in the category of those difficult women I wrote about … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Camden School for Girls, careers, feisty, teenagers, Women in science | Comments Off on Mrs Handley and the Whippets (Learning to be Difficult)

Difficult Women

Tributes poured in following the death of Jane Goodall, with stories of her remarkable life and doings, the way she set out new paths in research and lived a different kind of life. The quoted remark of hers that most … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Equality, feisty, Jane Goodall, Jess Phillips, Lisa Jardine, Women in science | Comments Off on Difficult Women

Being WISE

When I set off for University, I wasn’t surprised to find there weren’t many women on my course: there were only three Cambridge colleges that admitted women back then (i.e. no coeducational colleges at all), so of course I would … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in careers, Lily Davies-Dobbs, Lucy Davies, Mamta Singhal, toxic cultures, Women in science, Women in Science and Engineering | Comments Off on Being WISE

Honouring Sir Richard Friend

I’m essentially a year into retirement and, being the age I am, it is not surprising that I get invited to attend other people’s retirement celebrations. Of course, not all academics want such an event in their honour, and for … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in bullying, device physics, mentorship, Research, Science Culture | Comments Off on Honouring Sir Richard Friend