Author Archives: Athene Donald

In Memoriam

In Memoriam A few weeks ago I was reading Anne Marie Slaughter’s book Unfinished Business. This book builds on an Atlantic article she wrote about why she quit working for Hilary Clinton to return to engage more fully in her … Continue reading

Posted in Anne Marie Slaughter, mothers, Nigel Clarke, Science Culture, Women in science | Comments Off on In Memoriam

What’s Missing from the White Paper?

This post first appeared on the Campaign for Science and Engineering’s website on 19-5-16 With over 600 responses to the Green Paper consultation, Jo Johnson and his team have had plenty of advice to consider. And some of the White … Continue reading

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The Competitive Streak in Academia

Does being competitive necessarily mean foregoing kindness? In essence this was the question posed to Uta Frith at the end of her public conversation with me last week (you can hear the whole conversation here). Uta didn’t give a completely … Continue reading

Posted in Carol Robinson, impact factor, Mary Beard, Meaning of Success, Science Culture, Uta Frith, Women in science | Comments Off on The Competitive Streak in Academia

Putting a Value on the Intangible

Does being around trees make you less stressed? A recent study claims it does and, for many of us, green spaces undoubtedly confer a sense of peace and a place to sit and relax. Do trees confer benefits that can … Continue reading

Posted in academia, economists, education, gardens, widening participation | Comments Off on Putting a Value on the Intangible

Embedding the People in our Labs

Scientists are people, they have emotions and they interact with their peers, their students, their professors….and indeed the public. Sometimes, however, scientists are represented as interacting with little more than glassware or white lab coats. We can be perceived as … Continue reading

Posted in book review, Hope Jahren, Lab Girl, relationships, Science Culture, students | Comments Off on Embedding the People in our Labs

Culture and Science

Culture arguably sits at the centre of our society, but what it means isn’t always clear. To many, too many I would say, it only refers to the ‘arty’ stuff: literature, films, art and music perhaps. That science could be … Continue reading

Posted in AHRC, Geoff Crossick, Science Culture | Comments Off on Culture and Science

Unravelling Grant Success Rates by Gender

I first realised that the problems I was facing might just, possibly, not be down to my own shortcomings when I read the 1999 MIT report on the Status of Women. For the first time it occurred to me that … Continue reading

Posted in Equality, funders, mentoring, old boys' network, Women in science | Comments Off on Unravelling Grant Success Rates by Gender

RIP Sir David MacKay

Many people have been paying tribute to David MacKay, who died on Thursday, and I would like to add my own voice. He was an extraordinary man who contributed so much to physics and wider societal issues during his tragically … Continue reading

Posted in academia, Cavendish Laboratory, DECC, energy production, Sustainable Energy | Comments Off on RIP Sir David MacKay

What have I got to Lose?

‘Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose’ sang Janis Joplin, and working out what – if anything – there is to lose in general is frequently a good strategy. This was brought home to me recently in discussing … Continue reading

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Heroines We Still Need

I have not been able to think much about blogging recently due to a variety of factors culminating in the wedding last weekend of my daughter. Not that I had much to do with the organisation of the wedding but … Continue reading

Posted in biography, Florence Nightingale, Mark Bostridge, statistics, Vera Brittain, Women in science | Comments Off on Heroines We Still Need