Latest posts

Confidence, Rebellion and Schools

Posted on 20 January 2016 by Athene Donald

‘A swot and a rebel’ was how Mary Beard described herself when I interviewed her last week for Churchill College (you can listen to the full interview here). She seemed to think this was a common pairing of terms but I’m not sure I’d agree. She, like me, was a Cambridge undergraduate – although a couple of years later and at Newnham College n Continue reading →

Posted in education, extrovert, faking it, Mary Beard, Science Culture, Sutton Trust | Comments Off on Confidence, Rebellion and Schools

Hey, I didn’t even get the grant!

Posted on 15 January 2016 by Steve Caplan

Scientists today spend a considerable chunk of their time writing: grants, protocols, manuscripts, reviews, grant reviews, etc. One of the bureaucratic requirements that most of us are familiar with is the “progress report.” Every year — or even after every six months of funding, we are obliged to send in a report detailing our pr Continue reading →

Posted in awardee, bureaucracy, foundation, funding, grant, humor, No, progress report, Research, science, scientist, Writing | Comments Off on Hey, I didn’t even get the grant!

Being Unexpectedly Provocative

Posted on 14 January 2016 by Athene Donald

I have recently returned from a trip to Santa Barbara, to the conference to honour my late mentor Professor Ed Kramer, and San Francisco, where I met up with various alumni and alumnae of my College and the University. In Santa Barbara the conference was obviously about science, with talks from many of Kramer’s former postdocs and students, his ext Continue reading →

Posted in alumni, California, Communicating Science, Ed Kramer, Equality, Miss Triggs, Women in science | Comments Off on Being Unexpectedly Provocative

Blogging; totally worth a go

Posted on 13 January 2016 by Matthew (@MCeeP)

This is my first post to Occam’s Irregulars and when I was planning out what I wanted to write, I though that I needed something that was going to have a splash and get plenty of clicks. But that sounded hard and possibly requiring of either talent or some kind of Buzzfeed-esq list format. So instead, I’m going for the much easier option of i Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Guest posts, SciBlogs, SciComms, Writing | Comments Off on Blogging; totally worth a go

The Numbers Game

Posted on 9 January 2016 by Athene Donald

If you are the only boy in a ballet class or the only girl studying physics, it can feel uncomfortable. However much what you’re doing may be your passion, it may feel awkward. Quite likely you will adopt some adaptive strategy: perhaps talking extra loud, showing off – or alternatively trying to hide metaphorically under the table so people do not Continue reading →

Posted in communication, conference speakers, Equality, minority | Comments Off on The Numbers Game

ORCIDs set to bloom in 2016

Posted on 7 January 2016 by Stephen

Have you got an ORCID identifier yet? You should. They’re on the rise – and for good reason.

An ORCID iD is a number (mine is 0000-0002-0552-8870) that unambiguously and persistently identifies you in the digital world of academia. Continue reading →

Posted in science | Comments Off on ORCIDs set to bloom in 2016

Henry Gee’s top ten reads of 2015

Posted on 2 January 2016 by Stephen

At the tail end of 2015 I reviewed the 23 books that had entertained and enlightened me over the course of the year. My friend Henry Gee, formerly of this parish, managed nearly twice that number. In a guest post full of his characteristic wit, he lists his top ten. 

On going through the list of 41 books read this year, I was amazed to come across Continue reading →

Posted in book review, Science & Art | Comments Off on Henry Gee’s top ten reads of 2015

Armchair Travel

Posted on 2 January 2016 by Athene Donald

One of the best things about the Christmas break is the ability to immerse oneself in books without the endless distracting ping of arriving emails or the intervention of interminable committee meetings (and accompanying papers to wade through). This year I seem to have indulged myself in a feast of books on travel (loosely defined), from the large Continue reading →

Posted in book review, Equality, Gloria Steinem, metaphor, Simon Armitage | Comments Off on Armchair Travel

The Season of Presents

Posted on 28 December 2015 by Athene Donald

I have written before of my desire to get my hands on a Pensieve, that wonderful, fantastical creation of JK Rowling characterised as the receptacle described here:

One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one’s mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one’s leisure.

I would also find a Timeturner rather useful too, another inventio Continue reading →

Posted in Ed Kramer, mentoring, Science Culture, support | Comments Off on The Season of Presents

The Metrics of Reaching Out

Posted on 22 December 2015 by Athene Donald

In my College we are pleased to see that we are doing well against a specific set of metrics associated with social mobility at admissions. This hasn’t happened by accident, but is down to years of hard work and careful thought regarding our widening participation efforts. The recently published annual report of the Social Mobility and Child Povert Continue reading →

Posted in Cambridge University, Churchill College, college admissions, education, Equality, widening participation | Comments Off on The Metrics of Reaching Out