Latest posts

One hundred years old

Posted on 16 September 2014 by Frank Norman

Just a few years back it seemed unlikely that we would ever celebrate our centenary. We were to be rejuvenated exterminated absorbed into a new Institute.  Back in 2007 when this project was announced we expected that 2013 would be the beginning of the new, and the end of the old Institute just shy of its 100 years. But the awesome immensity of the Continue reading →

Posted in 100NIMR, Books, Film and music, History | Comments Off on One hundred years old

Who Isn’t an Impostor?

Posted on 15 September 2014 by Athene Donald

Last week I attended the last day of the British Science Association‘s Festival in Birmingham. There was a real buzz about the place and it had clearly been an extremely successful few days. I enjoyed hearing Ineke de Moortel – the Rosalind Franklin Lecture Award winner – talk about solar flares and sunspots in lucid and accessible terms as p Continue reading →

Posted in British Science Association, Communicating Science, Impostor syndrome, Paul Nurse, Robin Ince, Science Culture, Steve Cross | Comments Off on Who Isn’t an Impostor?

Popular neuroscience book suggestions

Posted on 14 September 2014 by Stephen

Neuroscience isn’t really my thing, so when my teenage daughter came asking for suggestions of a good popular book on the subject I took to Twitter. Several people kindly made suggestions, while others asked to be notified of the outcome of my quest. It seems to be a popular subject.

Here, in no particular order are the titles that were offered. Continue reading →

Posted in book review, neuroscience, popsci, popular science | Comments Off on Popular neuroscience book suggestions

In which we need more lab coats in the Commons

Posted on 11 September 2014 by Jennifer Rohn

Like many commuters serving as a captive audience on the London Underground, I tend to read the free Evening Standard most nights. I enjoy the op ed pieces by Rosamund Urwin, who has always struck me as both light-hearted and eminently sensible – a good combination for any journalist desirous of keeping the attention of exhausted people trapp Continue reading →

Posted in Policy, Politics | Comments Off on In which we need more lab coats in the Commons

Fresh Start, Fresh Anxieties

Posted on 10 September 2014 by Athene Donald

This is the time of year when anxious students-to-be – and their parents – are contemplating their future. Having established that they have got into University X once A level results are known, they have to work out what the shape of their future life will be. Where will they live? What will their accommodation be like? What will be provided by th Continue reading →

Posted in Cambridge University, Churchill College, Freshers, Science Culture | Comments Off on Fresh Start, Fresh Anxieties

We strapped this baby into a chair. You won’t believe what happened next!

Posted on 7 September 2014 by rpg

Tired and hungry

Posted in caption competition, Don't try this at home, Nonsense | Comments Off on We strapped this baby into a chair. You won’t believe what happened next!

Men are Parents Too

Posted on 4 September 2014 by Athene Donald

Another shocking headline) graced the pages of the Daily Telegraph this week, albeit apparently only temporarily before removal. ‘Mother of 3 poised to lead the BBC’ it shrieked, a sentence curiously reminiscent of the way Dorothy Hodgkin’s Nobel Prize was celebrated 50 years ago. Back then the Daily Telegraph announced “Bri Continue reading →

Posted in Equality, headlines, Laura Bates, Rona Fairhead, tabpp | Comments Off on Men are Parents Too

In which I am still largely at large: another mother in academia

Posted on 2 September 2014 by Jennifer Rohn

Blogging appearances to the contrary, I am still alive, clinging gamely to some semblance of work-life balance as a new mother in academia.

Not so new anymore, I realize, as Joshua hurtles, one milestone at a time, toward his first birthday. He sways on his feet, unsupported, for long periods of time, yet is still reluctant to let go as he steps a Continue reading →

Posted in Lablit, Science-fiction, students, Teaching, The profession of science, Women in science, Writing | Comments Off on In which I am still largely at large: another mother in academia

Street signs

Posted on 31 August 2014 by Cath@VWXYNot?

My sister and I had very active imaginations when we were kids. We acted out plays with our stuffed animals, pretended we were time travellers, and frequently visited Narnia – but what we really loved was solving mysteries. Fuelled by a diet of books such as Enid Blyton’s Famous Five and Adventure series1, we’d pedal around our ne Continue reading →

Posted in book review, family, photos, Silliness, Vancouver | Comments Off on Street signs

Whose Responsbility? It’s too Easy to Say ‘Not Mine’

Posted on 27 August 2014 by Athene Donald

Despite the news being full of stories about how minorities are disadvantaged in larger or smaller ways, it is far from obvious that rapid progress is being made. The articles I read are full of appropriate shock at everything from the gender pay gap to the lack of women in the board room and misogyny in social media, yet are the organisations that Continue reading →

Posted in diversity, Equality, faculty, leadership, support, Women in science | Comments Off on Whose Responsbility? It’s too Easy to Say ‘Not Mine’