Category Archives: The ageing process

In which I lurk on the edges of the playground

Posted on 5 May 2025 by Jennifer Rohn

I’ve just finished Richard Powers’ latest novel, Playground. This is not a book review (although I can highly recommend it), but more of a reflection on its aftertaste. Cryptic spoilers below. I’d consider the book ‘lab lit lite’ – there … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in careers, Domestic bliss, Gardening, Joshua, Lablit, staring into the abyss, The ageing process, The profession of science | Leave a comment

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 I age backwards

Posted on 21 November 2023 by Jennifer Rohn

I don’t know if it’s just me, but for the last few years, I’ve forgotten how old I am. Because I spend so much of the year pessimistically rounding up, I’m rendered unsure by the present state of affairs. When … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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In which the wheel turns

Posted on 8 October 2023 by Jennifer Rohn

Time is a wheel, speeding me along in ever quicker circuits. As individual moments rush towards me, flare into immediacy and then blur past, most are soon forgotten save for those captured as digital images, or in some dashed lines … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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In which I am pummelled into viral submission

Posted on 29 May 2023 by Jennifer Rohn

I am only happy to write about this today because I suspect it is finally almost over. I’m no longer so superstitious that I think I’m tempting fate by doing so now. In short, I’ve been ill for a long … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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In which I capture the present, but forget why

Posted on 19 March 2023 by Jennifer Rohn

I have always been a compulsive chronicler, ever since I was a small child starting off my first journal. I still write an entry nearly every day, taking a few months to fill in all the pages with my increasingly … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in academia, art, Domestic bliss, Gardening, Music, Nostalgia, The ageing process, work-life balance, Writing | Comments Off on In which I capture the present, but forget why

In which academic dreams come true: a belated professorship

Posted on 30 July 2021 by Jennifer Rohn

I have wanted to be a scientist since before I can remember. I did all the right things: I studied hard, finished my homework, raised my hand in class, failed to hide the fact that I loved learning, even though … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in academia, careers, Nostalgia, Research, staring into the abyss, The ageing process, The profession of science, Women in science | Comments Off on In which academic dreams come true: a belated professorship

In which summers shrink

Posted on 27 June 2021 by Jennifer Rohn

Academics talk nostalgically about rosy-tinted times of yore when summers meant a lull in lecturing duties. The months would unfold before you, a vast landscape of research possibilities. It was a time to write papers, craft grants, catch up with … Continue reading →

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In which Frank leaves the building

Posted on 28 August 2020 by Jennifer Rohn

Martin onstage at “Trop-a-Delic” Last night I lost a friend. I couldn’t think of a more graceful way to start this post, as I am still a little bit in shock. But last night, I lost a friend.

Posted in Music, Obituaries, The ageing process | Comments Off on In which Frank leaves the building

In which my mother stands behind me, and I mother in turn

Posted on 26 December 2019 by Jennifer Rohn

The winter always belonged to my mother and me. We both loved the late autumn, when the last of the leaves plastered the pavements in a smear of color, and our breath fogged the morning air. November also usually brought … Continue reading →

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