Author Archives: Stephen

From the pedestal – take 3 [3]

Earlier this week I had an interesting email from Jesse Shore, President of Australian Science Communicators, about a blog post I wrote back in 2010. Jesse has kindly agreed to let me post our brief correspondence so I’ll let him … Continue reading

Posted in communication, peer review, science, science communication, Scientific Life | Comments Off on From the pedestal – take 3 [3]

The Case for Support

If you are a scientist and you want some money to spend on research, as part of the grant application you have to write a case for support. It has to be good. You need to describe why the problem … Continue reading

Posted in science, Science & Politics, Science policy, willetts | Comments Off on The Case for Support

Work and Energy [17]

It has been a quiet week in lab woebegone*. Though we have been working to pack up everything for a move across campus in mid-January, Christmas has intervened to scatter us to our homes, where traditionally we have the time … Continue reading

Posted in GF Watts, Physical Energy, science, Scientific Life, The War on Stress | Comments Off on Work and Energy [17]

Jam Yesterday [12]

On a grey day back in October I made my way along Albemarle Street to the Royal Institution for the filming of DemoJam, a lively and light-hearted program of science produced by Jonathan Sanderson and the rest of the gang … Continue reading

Posted in communication, Protein Crystallography, RI Channel, Royal Institution, science, video | Comments Off on Jam Yesterday [12]

First Anniversary [21]

A year ago today Occam’s Typewriter made its debut on the blogosphere and I published my first post at the new home of Reciprocal Space. It’s been a good twelve months. OT has established itself as a home thoughtful and … Continue reading

Posted in Occam's Typewriter, Open Laboratory, science, Scientific Life | Comments Off on First Anniversary [21]

Real and False Economy [16]

Last week I went to Germany to talk to a pharmaceutical company about my work on the blood protein, human serum albumin. It set me thinking. But first I need to tell you about albumin. Albumin is a surprisingly abundant … Continue reading

Posted in impact, Protein Crystallography, science, Science policy, Scientific Life | Comments Off on Real and False Economy [16]

Incoming [1]

I gave a talk a couple of weeks ago at a Biochemical Society meeting on the subject of the Research Excellence Framework, the process that will assess UK academic research quality for the purpose of determining how a large tranche … Continue reading

Posted in impact, REF, science, Scientific Life | Comments Off on Incoming [1]

Alive to the prospects for libel reform [13]

The campaign for libel reform has been grinding away for several years now but there was still a buzz of expectation as we gathered in Committee Room 10 in the House of Commons last Wednesday evening. By 6 pm the … Continue reading

Posted in Libel Reform, Science & Politics | Comments Off on Alive to the prospects for libel reform [13]

Let’s democratise the bejesus out of libel reform [32]

This week the Guardian made the astonishing revelation that a man who is heir to the throne by an accident of birth and who is the representative on Earth of precisely no-one has been enjoying the right of veto over … Continue reading

Posted in defamation, democracy, Libel Reform, Parliament, Science & Politics | Comments Off on Let’s democratise the bejesus out of libel reform [32]

Libel Reform: steps forward [4]

Today sees the publication of a very important report on libel reform. The report is from the Parliamentary Joint Scrutiny Committee, which has been considering the government’s draft defamation bill in the light of oral and written evidence from interested … Continue reading

Posted in goldacre, Libel Reform, Science & Politics, Sense about Science, singh, wilmshurst | Comments Off on Libel Reform: steps forward [4]