Category Archives: email

The (Damaging) Power of Silence

Posted on 1 March 2024 by Athene Donald

There are many strategies for dealing with an overfull inbox, not all of which are helpful to the person who sent the email. I have weeks where I feel more or less on top of things and other weeks where … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in bullying, complicit, email, power imbalance, Science Culture | Comments Off on The (Damaging) Power of Silence

Will Biography be a Lost Art?

Posted on 15 April 2018 by Athene Donald

As a young postdoc I arrived, fairly literally penniless in the USA in October 1977. I had flown with the forerunner of today’s low-cost airlines, Freddie Laker, on his new invention of ‘standby’ fares. You turned up on the day … Continue reading →

Posted in Communicating Science, email, letters, Maggie Thatcher, New York, Science Culture, Winston Churchill | Comments Off on Will Biography be a Lost Art?

The Sound of Silence

Posted on 5 August 2017 by Athene Donald

There is the blissful silence away from email because you are lounging on a warm beach somewhere (or up a cold and wet mountain, according to taste) with your smart phone resolutely turned off. But the silence only lasts as … Continue reading →

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Writer’s Block

Posted on 28 May 2017 by Athene Donald

Regular readers of my blog will have noticed there has been nothing new to read for a while.  I guess this could be ascribed simply to the familiar problem of writer’s block, but it felt more like a complete loss … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Communicating Science, email, energy, inbox, Science Culture | Comments Off on Writer’s Block

Five Minutes Peace (and Preferably a Lot More)

Posted on 2 March 2017 by Athene Donald

Any parent will be familiar with the desire to find a quiet corner where the children can’t find them. Many readers will also know all about the antics of the Large Family, a family of elephants, in Jill Murphy’s tale … Continue reading →

Posted in diary, email, Science Culture, time | Comments Off on Five Minutes Peace (and Preferably a Lot More)

Flexible Working or Never Switched Off?

Posted on 3 September 2016 by Athene Donald

A number of years ago I noticed that the secretary to the committee I was chairing was regularly sending me emails late at night. Concerned the organisation was overloading the woman so that she could only catch up by working … Continue reading →

Posted in careers, email, part-time, Pressure, Science Culture | Comments Off on Flexible Working or Never Switched Off?

Resolving the Resolutions [10]

Posted on 1 January 2012 by Athene Donald

A year ago I publicly made some New Year’s Resolutions, and it is interesting to look back and see what my good intentions were and to what extent I’ve managed to stick with them. Resolution 1 I will ensure I … Continue reading →

Posted in cycling, diaries, email, New Year, refereeing, Science Culture | Comments Off on Resolving the Resolutions [10]