Latest posts

On meetings

Posted on 5 January 2015 by rpg

Six years ago I found to relatively easy to tell my mother what I did for a living, if not exactly explain it. I could wibble on about actin polymerization and spaghetti, or messenger RNA export, or why I’d spent a year of my life trying to repeat an experiment that our collaborators had published only to discover that the buggers had effecti Continue reading →

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In which a tale of antibiotics takes form

Posted on 4 January 2015 by Jennifer Rohn

It’s a grey afternoon outside the study window. This morning a thick fog erased the usual twinkling lights of Tilbury Docks along the estuary, with seagoing vessels blowing their horns in long, sonorous warnings. A fitting soundtrack, as tomorrow spells the demise of a fortnight’s holiday, during which disbelief was well and truly suspe Continue reading →

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Going against the grain—or rather corn

Posted on 3 January 2015 by Steve Caplan

For better or for worse, US College athletics are an integral part of US society. However, maintaining a spirit of good sportsmanship should be an essential part of any athletic program.

College sports have a huge impact on US universities; for example, the sports network ESPN published that in 2008, the #1 ranked US college football team, the Alab Continue reading →

Posted in academia, academics, coach, college sports, Cornhuskers, education, Football, Nebraska, profane language, sports, Universities | Comments Off on Going against the grain—or rather corn

Resolving Your Way out of a Rut

Posted on 3 January 2015 by Athene Donald

I wonder how many of my readers have already broken their New Year’s resolutions, assuming they even bothered to dream them up in the first place. Daily visits to the gym and a diet excluding chocolate sound all very well on December 31st, but then look less enticing on January 1st. If you want to know what my resolutions are, I have put them Continue reading →

Posted in breathing space, careers, new year resolutions, Science Culture | Comments Off on Resolving Your Way out of a Rut

Book review bundle

Posted on 1 January 2015 by Cath@VWXYNot?
I was inspired to start this post by Beth‘s 2014 book list, and to finish it by Stephen‘s – although my list spans 20 months rather than 12! Bad blogger. Beth also invited me to join a newly-formed book club a few months ago, which is a first for me. I was ambivalent at first, thinking that I don’t seem to get around to read Continue reading →
Posted in blog buddies, book review, movie review, personal, science | Comments Off on Book review bundle

Hogma-Nay.

Posted on 31 December 2014 by Cath@VWXYNot?

When I still lived in the UK, New Year’s Eve was always a really big deal for my friends and me. We usually went up to Edinburgh for the huge Hogmanay street party, which involved being out on Princes Street from about 10pm until 4am, pushing our way through massive crowds, drinking cheap wine from plastic pop bottles, kissing random men in k Continue reading →

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Impressions of Australia

Posted on 31 December 2014 by Stephen

I have been struggling to write something about my trip to Australia in August, my first visit to that great continent and undoubtedly a highlight of 2014. In my determination to get away from the rather banal what-I-did-on-my-lecture-tour-and-family-holiday trope, I ended up loading the first draft with too much historical and philosophical baggag Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, science, travel | Comments Off on Impressions of Australia

Losing a Mentor

Posted on 29 December 2014 by Athene Donald

There are usually only a handful of people in anyone’s life who can honestly be said to have had a radical impact on how that life turns out. Yesterday I learned of the death of one of my key mentors, Professor Ed Kramer who was one such person in my own life. I feel desperately sad at his passing. Not only an amazing and inspirational scient Continue reading →

Posted in Ed Kramer, inspirational. mentor, polymer science, Research | Comments Off on Losing a Mentor

Empathy, stereotypes and Merry Christmas

Posted on 25 December 2014 by Steve Caplan

Around this time of year, I find myself in public places like grocery stores constantly be wished “Merry Christmas.” This, of course, does not at all bother me (although being Jewish I recognize the significance of the holiday, I do not celebrate Christmas), and my standard response is “Merry Christmas to you, too.” Emails i Continue reading →

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Holiday Snaps (lazy blogging)

Posted on 23 December 2014 by Richard Wintle

In my usual way, with the Christmas break in full sway, I’ll more or less finish of the year with some lazy photo blogging. First up: Toronto’s Eaton Centre with the 1937 camera:

Black Friday, Eaton Centre, Toronto

And here’s Jill Barber, the mystery holiday chanteuse I alluded to previously:

Jill Barber, First Canadian Place, Toronto

Continue reading →
Posted in Christmas, concerts, downtown, Film, Hobbies, holidays, Jill Barber, Photography, Toronto, travel, Vancouver | Comments Off on Holiday Snaps (lazy blogging)