Latest posts

I (DON’T!) smell gas…

Posted on 16 January 2013 by Steve Caplan

fireplace

Our fireplace, recently. Do you smell gas?!

What a day! Continue reading →

Posted in crazy regulations, enough!, fireplace, gas, pop a gasket, Research, Sniffy | Comments Off on I (DON’T!) smell gas…

ZOMG HOCKEY POOL!!!

Posted on 14 January 2013 by Cath@VWXYNot?

I honestly didn’t think we’d get any NHL hockey this year, but just like that I’m already double booked for the first Canucks game on Saturday and committed to three hockey pools*…

…including this one!

We’re using the CBC pool again, as most people who are interested should already have an account, and unlike oth Continue reading →

Posted in hockey pool, sport | Comments Off on ZOMG HOCKEY POOL!!!

Lab safety: who’s on the hook?

Posted on 12 January 2013 by Cath@VWXYNot?

I’m shamefully behind on my blog reading, and therefore didn’t see Richard’s excellent article on lab safety until the Guardian had already closed comments. I’ll therefore have to relate my story as its own post, instead of the comment I’d originally intended.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Richard’s article reference Continue reading →

Posted in science, technology | Comments Off on Lab safety: who’s on the hook?

Culture, Class and Quakers

Posted on 11 January 2013 by Athene Donald

Last week Melvyn Bragg ran a special series of In Our Time discussing the meaning of culture in both the past and present.  Because of the timing of the programme I rarely listen to it, although it’s great for listening to as a podcast on trains, but on this occasion I took especial care because the second episode in this series of five was trailed Continue reading →

Posted in anthropology, EB Tylor, education, Science Culture, Two Cultures | Comments Off on Culture, Class and Quakers

Guilty laughter. But still laughter.

Posted on 8 January 2013 by Austin

As I sat here today, wrestling with an intransigent Master’s thesis (the thesis is NOT mine, though the intransigence is), as well as the sheer existential gloom of being back at The Bunker (aka the Medical School Building) after the Xmas break…

…something made me laugh out loud.

And then again. And again. Continue reading →

Comments Off on Guilty laughter. But still laughter.

A Brief Service Announcement

Posted on 7 January 2013 by Bob O'H

Sorry for not posting much, um, recently. This is partly because I’ve been busy, and also because I’ve been avoiding writing an obituary for The Beast, who died a few weeks before Christmas. In the words of Trillian, normal service will be resumed as soon as we work out what “normal” is.

Posted in Aaaaaagh | Comments Off on A Brief Service Announcement

Is Removal of the Gender Pay Gap a Utilitarian Dream?

Posted on 6 January 2013 by Athene Donald

Last month the University of Cambridge published its latest Equal Pay Review, something it is now doing biennially (rather than annually) since things don’t change that drastically year on year. As in previous years, if you look at the average or median salaries for men and women there are substantial differences, reflecting the tendency towards gr Continue reading →

Posted in choicism, equal pay, Equality, job segregation | Comments Off on Is Removal of the Gender Pay Gap a Utilitarian Dream?

Getting the boot–entropy in the absence of enforcement

Posted on 6 January 2013 by Steve Caplan

6 pm on a cold Thursday evening, I bundled myself out of the research tower and headed down 3 flights of stairs to the car park. I moved to this new parking lot a year ago, and have been extremely pleased ever since. Despite the 3 flights up every morning, it is covered, meaning no scraping ice or snow off the windows–and in summer it stays r Continue reading →

Posted in chaos, Entropy, getting the boot, Jerusalem, locked wheel, parking, parking lot, Research, sandal, science | Comments Off on Getting the boot–entropy in the absence of enforcement

And the winner is…

Posted on 5 January 2013 by Cath@VWXYNot?

The results of the Fourth Annual VWXYNot? Readers’ Choice Comment of the Year Award vote are IN!

The winner is…

(insert drumroll here)

Continue reading →
Posted in blog buddies, competition, Meta | Comments Off on And the winner is…

Resolute

Posted on 4 January 2013 by Henry Gee

What’s your New Year Resolution?

For me it is none of the following: Giving up smoking (these days I only smoke through my ears); easing up on the drinking (my alcohol consumption would embarrass the most abstemious newt gnat); going on a diet (don’t make me laugh) or getting fit (in my opinion, people obsessed with physical fitness are Continue reading →

Posted in kleptocracy, new year resolutions, News, norfolk, scrummies, Silliness | Comments Off on Resolute