Category Archives: Scientific papers

In which no scientist is an island – but that’s what we signed up for

I’ve washed up on the shores of another weekend, almost limp after two weeks of protracted stress. Throughout this, my unsettled, cortisol-fuelled moods have mirrored the erratic nature of the recent weather: violent cloudbursts, hailstorms, rainbows, periods of brilliant sunshine … Continue reading

Posted in Academia, Research, Scientific papers, Scientific thinking, Teaching, The profession of science, Work/life balance | 2 Comments

In which we tell a story: on metaphors in science and life

There is such a stark divide between those who understand scientific complexity and those who urgently need or want to. The onus falls on the former to translate their messages in a comprehensible way. Perhaps it’s a radical claim, but … Continue reading

Posted in Academia, Research, Scientific papers, Students, Teaching, Writing | 1 Comment

In which we land

Our migration is complete: my lab now has a new home. And for me, a new office space. Numerous studies have scrutinised the effect of environment on work productivity. Anecdotally, I know that my own focus and output are greatly … Continue reading

Posted in Academia, Nostalgia, Research, science funding, Scientific papers, Staring into the abyss, The profession of science, Work/life balance | 1 Comment

In which I admire their honesty

Kudos to Mateja Erdani Kreft of the University of Ljubljana and Horst Robenek from the University of Münster for telling it like it is: You don’t often see such candor in the methods section of your local journal article – … Continue reading

Posted in Scientific method, Scientific papers, Scientific thinking, Silliness, The profession of science | 5 Comments

In which numbers lie – except when they flatter us

Bibliometrics have been making me cross recently. In the past month, I’ve stumbled across two instances where journal impact factors were being used in a grossly inappropriate way to assess the worth and quality of scientist colleagues. This exposure in … Continue reading

Posted in LabLit, Scientific papers, The profession of science, Writing | 20 Comments

In which they don’t make authorship like they used to

I recently had the pleasure of helping to judge the Max Perutz Science Writing Prize competition, held by the Medical Research Council in collaboration with the London Metro newspaper. The brief for aspiring young writers was to explain why their … Continue reading

Posted in Science journalism, Scientific papers, The profession of science, Writing | 25 Comments