Category Archives: Uncategorized

In which I slowly kill what I love

I sometimes feel like I am living in the last gasp of the “having your cake and eating it too” era. The planet is approaching a climatic tipping point – if not past it already. Widespread war is sparking ever … Continue reading

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In which I step over the edge

Another first of January, and I find myself in that fuzzy transition between old and new, between holiday and the resumption of real life. The Christmas tree and its associated trappings give me that look, seeming to realise they they … Continue reading

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In which there’s no cure like a good geeky read

With the arrival of September, autumn has arrived in London with a vengeance. The air is crisp and cold, marigolds wither on my back porch, and the campus is full of robed, jubilant undergraduates ready to accept their diplomas and … Continue reading

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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

Posted in Scientific method, Scientific thinking, The profession of science, Uncategorized, Women in science | 47 Comments

In which we rev up again

It’s been a long, cold winter. Science Is Vital has been in hibernation, but now we’re back. After half a year since the government’s Autumn Spending Review, the implications of the science budget’s cash freeze are starting to kick in. … Continue reading

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In which I marvel at a serious swag #fail

Who doesn’t love a good conference swag bag? Yes, I know it’s frequently full of useless tat destined to go straight into the hotel bin. But what jolts the adrenalin as you paw through the bulging canvas sack in your … Continue reading

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In which I question my own sell-by date

The scientific profession is inherently broken. I’ve blogged in the past about the glut of increasingly desperate post-docs battling it out for a diminishing pool of permanent positions funded by a dwindling pot of research funding. As the culture of … Continue reading

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In which I come over all SF

Science: it’s not just a profession, but a way of life. And sometimes it’s hard to switch off the all-pervasive geeky filter through which we view the entire world. Of course, the UK press’s habit of weirdly juxtaposing nouns as … Continue reading

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In which I correspond

In my secret heart, I have always longed to live in the Victorian era. Through the rosy-tinted glow of idealized histories (the sort that neglect to mention things like head lice), I’ve imbibed stories of poets corresponding with ornithologists about … Continue reading

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In which I contemplate the ranks of the invisible

The word ‘feminist’ has ugly connotations, so much so that I often hesitate before pointing out gender inequities. Does it do any good to state the obvious, given that it is unlikely to rectify injustice, and indeed risks riling up, … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 75 Comments