Author Archives: Erika Cule

Listen while you work

Posted on 9 September 2012 by Erika Cule

I feel sorry for PhD students who prefer to work in silence. Most students (and postdocs) will be assigned a desk in a shared office. Lab-dwelling students cannot realistically expect a quiet working environment. Jenny describes the sounds of science:

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Londoners by Craig Taylor and the A to Z

Posted on 11 August 2012 by Erika Cule

I moved to London in 2005. After a few weeks living here I concluded that the two most useful things to give a new visitor to the capital would be an Oyster card and a London A to Z. An Oyster … Continue reading →

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Talkin’ ’bout my PhD-work

Posted on 25 June 2012 by Erika Cule

Smashing up your equipment on stage (as done by Pete Townshend) is one way to make your performance memorable, but may not be recommended for academic presentations. For many (most?) PhD students, there comes a time when they must present … Continue reading →

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You’re turning into your supervisor

Posted on 2 May 2012 by Erika Cule

This week I met up with some collaborators. This was the trip that led to a chance encounter with fellow OT blogger Austin: Small world, science – just bumped into @occamt‘s London-based PhD student blogger Erika Cule occamstypewriter.org/erikacule/ in the … Continue reading →

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Book Review – Stefan Collini asks What Are Universities For?

Posted on 18 March 2012 by Erika Cule

I picked up What Are Universities For? by Stefan Collini for two reasons. I had been impressed by Collini’s article in the London Review of Books last summer critiquing the Browne review. (I also enjoyed William Cullerne Bown‘s comments on … Continue reading →

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Have you started writing yet?

Posted on 29 January 2012 by Erika Cule

Have you started writing yet? is a question I get asked (what feels like) often. Normally, it is a follow-up to What year are you in [of your PhD]?

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Stocktake

Posted on 9 December 2011 by Erika Cule

One year since the launch of Occam’s Typewriter, one year since my MPhil to PhD upgrade exam, and one year (more or less) to go until the end of the PhD. This seems a suitable place for stocktaking. This year’s … Continue reading →

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Creativity

Posted on 3 December 2011 by Erika Cule

5th edition When I was revising for my undergraduate exams, I was exasperated by the sheer volume of stuff I needed to know. I was intimidated by the number of facts I would need to have to hand when I … Continue reading →

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PhD Comics Movie Review [15]

Posted on 6 November 2011 by Erika Cule

Piled Higher and Deeper – the popular PhD comic – has been made into a movie. The movie is touring campuses around the world. Find a screening near you, or watch the trailer: Imperial College Union‘s Graduate Student Association hosted … Continue reading →

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Perspectives from Big Pharma [3]

Posted on 5 November 2011 by Erika Cule

I came to research in statistical genetics from an undergraduate degree in biochemistry. I learnt statistics as applied to genetics; perhaps a student who studied statistics of itself would have a perspective that is broader than my own. I was … Continue reading →

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