Category Archives: Writing

In which I am not a science cheerleader

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

There is something seductive about the scientific profession: it exerts a gravity so powerful that it can hoover all of the surrounding universe into its warped perspective. If you have your heart set on being a scientist, you set off … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers, LabLit, Scientific thinking, Staring into the abyss, The profession of science, Writing | 28 Comments

In which I powder my nose

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

It’s rather disconcerting to enter a stall in a public lavatory, sit down – and see your own name staring back at you on the inner door advertising. Does this mean I’ve really hit the big-time? /Ducks in preparation for … Continue reading →

Posted in LabLit, Silliness, Writing | 5 Comments

In which numbers lie – except when they flatter us

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

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

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

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

In which fantasy informs reality – and saves the planet

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

The discussion about what fiction can do for science is best encapsulated by the often heard, emblematic plea: Where’s my bloody jetpack, then? Okay, so the technorati may still be earthbound on Segways while they wait for the price of … Continue reading →

Posted in LabLit, Science fiction, Writing | 10 Comments

In which I am not worthy

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

I am still pinching myself. The good folks from the Edinburgh Book Festival have invited me to get up on stage with one of my favorite authors, Neal Stephenson, to discuss the importance of science fiction on science fact. The … Continue reading →

Posted in LabLit, Nostalgia, Science fiction, Writing | 8 Comments

In which I ponder the new Two Cultures

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

Given the recent trendiness of science/art/lit projects, and the grant money and audience interest they can pull in, CP Snow’s notion of ‘the Two Cultures’ is starting to feel a little bit antiquated. But I do sometimes wonder if a … Continue reading →

Posted in Science journalism, The profession of science, Writing | 2 Comments

In which not much is left to the imagination

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

Here’s a sign I snapped during my post-Christmas holiday in Yorkshire. Can you spot what’s wrong with it? It is a classic example of a violation of a rule that fiction writers refer to as “Show, Not Tell”. What it … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | 16 Comments

In which I long to curl up with a good book

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

‘Tis the season when colleagues start discreetly disappearing from the lab, only to return a few hours later laden with shopping bags from Oxford Street. There is a run on discarded boxes and packing peanuts in the store room, and … Continue reading →

Posted in LabLit, Writing | 23 Comments

In which I do my bit

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

For me, one of the highlights of Science Online 2011 was meeting @HistoryGeek – Holly Tucker, an Associate Professor at Vanderbilt University who teaches French and the history of medicine, and whose upcoming book Blood Work, a tale of murder … Continue reading →

Posted in LabLit, Writing | 6 Comments