About Jenny
By day: cell biologist at UCL. By night: novelist, broadcaster, science writer, sci-lit-art pundit, blogger and Editor of LabLit.com. I blog about my life in science, not the facts and figures.
Category Archives: Scientific method
In which we’re too close for comfort
It was always going to be a difficult relationship. We knew from the very start that they weren’t very well-suited. After all, they came from such different backgrounds. They were used to such radically different environments. They scarcely even spoke … Continue reading
Posted in Scientific method, The profession of science
8 Comments
In which the light bulb’s on the other foot
Following on from a discussion about light bulb changing jokes, I was bustling around my lab this morning, getting ready to cryogenically preserve some backups of my new bladder epithelial cell line. I was all set: I’d ordered the Mr … Continue reading
In which truths are revealed
There are many things I love passionately about science, but one aspect has got to be right up there in the top ten: the transformation of a deep unknown into perfect clarity. I find it amazing that using simple lab … Continue reading
In which I salute the pioneers
Cell and molecular biology is a bit of a dark art. The way we perform our experiments has been passed down from generation to generation in sacred texts known as “protocols”. Like any recipe used and abused by generations of … Continue reading
In which I surface briefly
Greetings, Earthlings: just emerging from my self-imposed laboratory exile for a quick update. I do still exist, and my radio silence can be explained by the fact that I’m in the home stretch of my resubmission. For those of you … Continue reading
Posted in Careers, Scientific method, The profession of science
21 Comments
In which I scrape by
I’ve been pondering the theoretical maximum number of simultaneous cell biological experiments that one person can do without losing it. I’ve also been testing the theory on a practical basis – on myself. And I can safely report that, by … Continue reading
In which the truth is out there
Crop circles are so last century. In our lab, HeLa cell circles are all the rage: The tissue culture incubator is currently plagued – not with aliens, but a random vibration or resonance that causes our cells to sporadically seed … Continue reading
Posted in Scientific method, Silliness
45 Comments
In which I ponder the power of perspective
Whenever you stick your head above the parapet and express a strong opinion in a high-profile venue, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll receive a large number of emails in response. Most of the follow-up I receive tends to be from … Continue reading
In which I confront a domestic mystery
Some late nights in the lab, that vending machine chocolate bar just can’t fill the snack hole that only a truly grueling experiment can induce. You need something hot, salty and preferably dripping with fat. It’s no surprise, then, that … Continue reading
Posted in Domestic bliss, Nostalgia, Scientific method, Silliness
52 Comments
In which I tire of the old paradigms
Successful moments in scientific research are famously rare, and people deal with them in various personal ways. Many treat a promising experimental with suspicion bordering on paranoia, refusing to believe what is right before their eyes because an experiment couldn’t … Continue reading
Posted in Scientific method, The profession of science
Tagged Kuhn, Popper, The scientific method
53 Comments
