Our blogs
- Adventures in Wonderland by Richard Wintle
- Athene Donald's Blog by Athene Donald
- Blogging by Candlelight by Erika Cule
- Confessions by Richard P Grant
- Deep Thoughts and Silliness by Bob O'Hara
- Mind the Gap by Jenny Rohn
- Nicola Spaldin's Blog by Nicola Spaldin
- No Comment by Steve Caplan
- Not ranting – honestly by Austin Elliott
- Reciprocal Space by Stephen Curry
- The End of the Pier Show by Henry Gee
- Trading Knowledge by Frank Norman
- The Occam's Typewriter Irregulars by Guest Bloggers
OT Cloud
- academia
- Apparitions
- book review
- Books
- Canada
- career
- careers
- Communicating Science
- communication
- Cromer
- Domestic bliss
- Domesticrox
- education
- Equality
- Gardening
- Guest posts
- humor
- Lablit
- Music
- nature
- Nostalgia
- Open Access
- personal
- Photography
- photos
- Politicrox
- Politics
- Research
- science
- Science & Politics
- Science-fiction
- Science Culture
- Science Funding
- Science Is Vital
- Scientific Life
- Silliness
- staring into the abyss
- students
- technology
- The profession of science
- travel
- Uncategorized
- Women in science
- Writing
- Writing & Reading
Author Archives: Athene Donald
Asking the Right Questions
The quote from CP Scott, long-time editor of the (Manchester) Guardian, elegantly says ‘Comment is free, but facts are sacred.’ As a scientist I like gathering evidence, getting at the facts and so, when Paige Brown Jarreau asked me to … Continue reading
Posted in careers, hypotheses, interviews, Science Culture
Comments Off on Asking the Right Questions
Career Trajectories: Not Always Straight and Easy
It is all too easy to fall into the trap of thinking anyone who has reached the top of their particular tree has travelled in a straight line from their teenage years on and have had the cards always stacked … Continue reading
Posted in career breaks, career paths, Carol Robinson, education, Janet Smith, Manchester
Comments Off on Career Trajectories: Not Always Straight and Easy
Looking After the Ada’s of the Future
Ada Lovelace Day (on Tuesday) is not just a day for celebrating one remarkable aristocratic woman who dared to break the mould the majority of her female colleagues were content to slot into, it is a day to look forward … Continue reading
Posted in #Just1Action4WIS, Ada Lovelace, Equality, ERC, microinequities, stereotyping, Women in science
Comments Off on Looking After the Ada’s of the Future
Moving Beyond a Silo Mentality
Wherever I turn currently I seem to come up against the questions that assessing interdisciplinary research throws up. Nature recently had a special issue highlighting some of the challenges and rewards, but taking a very broad brush approach. Its editorial … Continue reading
Posted in committee meetings, ERC, Interdisciplinary Science, refereeing, Research Councils, Science Funding
Comments Off on Moving Beyond a Silo Mentality
The Fresher’s Balancing Act
It’s the start of another academic year. For some universities, students have been in residence for some time; for others, such as Cambridge, freshers (undergraduates and graduates) are only now arriving. That of course goes for ‘Heads of House’ too, … Continue reading
Posted in education, experience, sleep, undergraduate, university
Comments Off on The Fresher’s Balancing Act
Can We Get Beyond Quotas?
As people talk increasingly about the need for quotas of women on Boards and senior management teams of different kinds, it is worth considering not only whether this is desirable but whether it is viable. I am prompted to ask … Continue reading
Posted in committee membership, Equality, head hunters, nominations, Women in science
Comments Off on Can We Get Beyond Quotas?
Why so Few (Still)?
If you ask a kid to draw a scientist, very often they will draw a ‘mad’ scientist with sticking up hair in a white lab coat, probably holding a test tube containing some evil-looking smoking liquid: an amalgam of Einstein … Continue reading
Posted in Change then Numbers, Elizabeth Blackburn, Equality, L'Oreal For Women in Science, nobel prize, UNESCO, Women in science
Comments Off on Why so Few (Still)?
Compartmentalising our Passions
As scientists, many in the world believe we are reductionist, breaking everything down into component parts. For some humanities’ scholars this can be equated to the fact that we can’t possibly be creative or, in Thomas Carlyle’s words (in 1833), … Continue reading
Posted in British Science Association, Communicating Science, CP Snow, Michael Berkeley, Music, Private Passions, Science Culture
Comments Off on Compartmentalising our Passions
Multitasking in the Public Eye
I spent much of the last week in Belgium. A long-scheduled trip, I spent a couple of nights in Brussels and one in Leuven. With Cambridge-Brussels being easy and streamlined (usually at least) via Eurostar, this should have been a … Continue reading
Posted in BBC, British Science Association, Communicating Science, Justin Webb, LERU
Comments Off on Multitasking in the Public Eye
Now I am Five*
This week I was stalking people. Professionally of course. As a Trustee of the Science Museum a group of us were invited to do some ‘Gallery Observations’ of visitors to get a sense of how they interact with the exhibits. … Continue reading
Posted in anniversary, audience, Blogging, Communicating Science, Science Museum, Writing
Comments Off on Now I am Five*
