Category Archives: resilience

Praise and Possibility

Anyone who watched the final of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing will have heard words like ‘resilient’, ‘belief’ and ‘self-confidence’ thrown in the direction of the four finalists by the judges, with all contestants having been on a ‘journey’. It got … Continue reading Continue reading

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Cynical and Irritable

‘This is not an era in which good things are taken at face value. We are cynical, irritable and tired, and if there is a bad intention to be read into anything, someone will scratch away at it until they … Continue reading Continue reading

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The Need for Bounce

What would you feel if someone described you as a ‘demoralised pile of pulp’? I was distinctly taken aback by this extreme phrase, describing myself – by myself. It referred to the ‘me’ I had been a year previous to … Continue reading

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Telling A Life Story

It has been a while since I last posted on my blog. In part that was down to the Easter holidays, but more than that I think it was a combination of the exhaustion of the previous term, coupled with … Continue reading

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Choosing your Path, Seizing Opportunities

I gave a talk today with this title at the Institute of Physics’ Careers Day ‘Taking Control of Your Career as a Female Physicist’. What I said is relevant to anyone setting out regardless of gender and, I suspect, regardless … Continue reading

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The scientist as a squirrel

What does one need to obtain grant funding in these tough times? *Overcoming obstacles *Fierce determination *Exceptional creativity and ingenuity *Proof of feasibility *Above all, persistence and resilience In short, behave like this squirrel that entertained us all through dinner.

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Resurgence and Resilience

There’s nothing like nature on a fine weekend to revitalize oneself after a rough week in the trenches laboffice. This weekend, we began Friday evening with a trip to the Neale Woods observatory to view the night sky telescopically–in particular … Continue reading

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