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Open Access – reasons to be cheerful: a reply to Agrawal

Posted on 2 April 2014 by Stephen

A opinion piece by Anurag Agrawal that was rather skeptical about some aspects of moves toward open access was published in the March issue of Trends in Plant Sciences. I felt several of the arguments advanced by Agrawal were rather weak and was glad to have the opportunity to write a rejoinder which has now been published in the April edition of t Continue reading →

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On Saying No

Posted on 1 April 2014 by Athene Donald

The comments on my last post have prompted me finally to write this one, one that I have had in mind for a few weeks. In fact, ever since I gave a talk at Merton College, Oxford, when an audience member pointed out I had both stated that one should seize opportunities and not say no without thinking and that it was important to be able to say no wh Continue reading →

Posted in CV, opportunity, Research, Science Culture, Women in science, workload | Comments Off on On Saying No

Anneliditely

Posted on 1 April 2014 by Henry Gee

You probably won’t believe this, it being 1 April and all, but I have literally just taken delivery of 250 live worms.

Mrs Crox ordered them to replenish our wormery, which was looking a bit tired, many of its inhabitants having died or retired.

I know the parcel was specifically addressed to Mrs Crox, but she’s out, and I felt I had to Continue reading →

Posted in annelids, compost, Domesticrox, recycling, Silliness, we must come to terms with worms, wormery | Comments Off on Anneliditely

Boundaries and boxes

Posted on 31 March 2014 by Frank Norman

No-one likes to be pigeonholed but the tendency to pigeonhole, or put things into boxes, comes naturally to us and can be valuable, within reason.

Categories

I think pigeonholing gets an overly bad press. The word has a pejorative ring, suggesting a kneejerk, over-simplistic focus on superficial elements. Continue reading →

Posted in History | Comments Off on Boundaries and boxes

The Maison Des Girrafes Caption Competition #16

Posted on 31 March 2014 by Henry Gee

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I am sure Heidi (large dog) and Saffron (small dog) are saying something to each other, but I was out of earshot, and the noise of the surf was too great for me to hear it…

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Moon Boy

Posted on 30 March 2014 by Stephen

After splashdown at 4:51 pm on 24th July 1969 the Apollo 11 astronauts returning from the first moon landing  had to don full-body Biological Isolation Garments before they could leave the conical command module that was bobbing in the Pacific Ocean. Having transferred to the dingy that had come to meet them, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Continue reading →

Posted in Apollo 11, History of Science, Michael Collins, Moon Landing, technology | Comments Off on Moon Boy

The Cupcakes of Mitosis

Posted on 30 March 2014 by Henry Gee

Tomorrow, Crox Minor is having a bake sale in aid of her favourite charity Children of Peace. This afternoon she and Mrs Crox made loads of cupcakes … some of them on the theme of mitosis. Here are two cupcakes, approaching metaphase…
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… and here is a cupcake, poised on the threshold of division. Sorry it’s a bit blurry, at moments such as th Continue reading →

Posted in anaphase, Apparitions, cell division, children of peace, cupcakes, Domesticrox, metaphase, mitosis, Science Is Vital, Silliness, yourtosis | Comments Off on The Cupcakes of Mitosis

Costa Rica: Part 2- river adventures (“Don’t cross the river, if you can’t swim the tide…”)

Posted on 30 March 2014 by Steve Caplan

No visit to Costa Rica would be complete without visiting the fascinating rivers than run through the luscious rain forests. However, there are a wide variety of river adventures, some of which I would warmly endorse, whereas others – well I will let you judge…
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Me, on the rocks

ontherocks inset
If anyone thought I was having fun, think again. RPG, I g Continue reading →

Posted in birds, Costa Rica, flowers, river, science, travels, wildlife | Comments Off on Costa Rica: Part 2- river adventures (“Don’t cross the river, if you can’t swim the tide…”)

In which outrage finds focus: petition about the Daily Mail Peiris/Aderin-Pocock affair

Posted on 27 March 2014 by Jennifer Rohn

Most of you have probably heard about the crass article that appeared in everyone’s favorite working mum- and immigrant-bashing rag (that’s me firmly in its sights, then, for embodying both evils simultaneously), the Daily Mail.

Which one, you ask? Because there are so many.

Continue reading →
Posted in The profession of science, Women in science | Comments Off on In which outrage finds focus: petition about the Daily Mail Peiris/Aderin-Pocock affair

Questions?

Posted on 27 March 2014 by Cath@VWXYNot?

A group of geeky colleagues assembled in the lobby after work last night and headed down to Vancouver’s Railway Club for Café Scientifique. This monthly science outreach event encompasses talks about everything from biodiversity to genomics to chemistry to particle physics; the speaker this time was Dr. Elizabeth Simpson, talking about her wo Continue reading →

Posted in communication, drunkenness, photos, science, Vancouver | Comments Off on Questions?