Category Archives: Scientific thinking

In which I dream

Posted on 17 March 2024 by Jennifer Rohn

Last night I dreamt I was pipetting. It was a beautiful Gilson p200, the classic model of my formative years. The precision instrument felt reassuringly heavy and solid in my right hand. Despite its age, the movements were smooth and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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In which we face the rain

Posted on 4 October 2020 by Jennifer Rohn

One of our white wine 2018 vintages How quickly strangeness becomes familiarity. As autumn hunkers down, and the COVID infection rates continue to rise (nearly 13,000 cases reported yesterday in the UK), I see things around me that I never … Continue reading →

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In which the pandemic unfolds: a postcard from The Big One?

Posted on 15 March 2020 by Jennifer Rohn

Epidemics are works in progress. At any given moment in time, you can’t know how they will end. They are a curve on a graph of ultimately unknown trajectory; when you are just a dot on a growing curve, you … Continue reading →

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In which I defend the birds-eye view

Posted on 26 November 2019 by Jennifer Rohn

Lovely massive tree. But what about that small boy in the corner?Is science about obsessing over one tiny daub of paint? Or is it about standing back and appreciating the entire picture?

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In which we find out how

Posted on 9 April 2019 by Jennifer Rohn

Science in your pyjamas: bliss What’s the youngest a person can be exposed to science in a meaningful way? Loyal readers will know that I’ve pondered this question before, especially since becoming a mother. The other day a colleague told … Continue reading →

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In which we grow towards the light

Posted on 30 January 2019 by Jennifer Rohn

It’s that time of year when the long winter starts to nibble away at your core. Everything feels cold, dark, and dormant, held in abeyance until better times. The festive period is a distant memory, and spring seems so far … Continue reading →

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In which we science the world

Posted on 18 October 2018 by Jennifer Rohn

My son just can’t help it. He’s not even doing it deliberately: he’s just acting naturally. Curiosity combined with razor-sharp eyesight is a killer combination for the accidental scientist. He sees things that I miss, with my own failing ocular … Continue reading →

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In which I question an assumption: do fiction readers really dislike scientific detail?

Posted on 20 September 2018 by Jennifer Rohn

My regular readers will know all about Fiction Lab, the world’s first book group devoted to discussing lab lit fiction. We’ve been meeting once a month for just over a decade at London’s Royal Institution to talk about novels with … Continue reading →

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In which science imitates life, number 365: zones of death in public transport

Posted on 3 May 2018 by Jennifer Rohn

I was waiting for the bus this past weekend, ridiculously early to get my son to his swimming lesson across town. Or so I thought. We waited, and waited, and Joshua jumped up and down anxiously, looking adorable with his … Continue reading →

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In which I bring Lego to lab meeting

Posted on 7 January 2017 by Jennifer Rohn

Our floor recently initiated a monthly lunchtime meeting as an informal feedback conduit. Although the individual labs all work in one mammoth communal room, the research that goes on is disparate. The key to propelling your project forward might be … Continue reading →

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