When I heard the announcement, I knew that it was the right thing to do. How could it not be? What could be of more value, functionally and educationally, than doing a first aid + CPR course with my 10 year old son?
I’ve spent the last couple of days at my institute’s annual conference, catching up on some very cool science and gorging myself on delicious food. Having spent eight of the last ten years at the same institute, working in three departments and collaborating with people in many more, I love this conference because I know so many people Continue reading
One of the best things about blogs is that you can use them to trumpet the doings of your friends. So as Phil Ball did when he wrote nice things about me, notwithstanding inasmuch as which I shall spread happiness and fluffy kittens concerning books written by friends.
A couple of months back I was granted a sneak preview of a three-volume novel (i Continue reading
There is something seductive about the scientific profession: it exerts a gravity so powerful that it can hoover all of the surrounding universe into its warped perspective. If you have your heart set on being a scientist, you set off on that journey with unwavering focus. Twenty years later you might look up and realize that you still don’t have a Continue reading
In a moment of frivolity I sketched out how a REF committee in a dysfunctional department might pan out. As chair of my own local REF committee, I am delighted to say my own experiences bear no relationship to this sad state of affairs, however complex our discussions may get.
It’s been a long time since I’ve visited the Department of Paintball S Continue reading
About 18 months ago, I posted about some accusations of seriously compromised grant review in Bulgaria that were brought to the international community’s attention via a news article in Nature. Several readers commented that they were disappointed to have missed out on the opportunity to make some easy money on the side by reviewing grants co Continue reading
This interview originally appeared in slightly different form at Scientific American Books/FSG.
The book in question.
Among the ever-lengthening series of interviews of authors of pieces in this year’s edition of the OpenLab series, The Best Science Writing Online 2012, is this contribution, my interview with pharmacist and author Cindy M. Continue reading
Last week I spoke on open access at the annual conference of Research Libraries UK (RLUK). I did so at the end of a session that also featured Dame Janet Finch, who had chaired the working group set up by the government to make recommendations on expanding access to the scholarly literature in the UK, and Mark Thorley, the public face of the new po Continue reading
It’s not so long ago that I wrote about the lack of opportunity one typically has at conferences to appreciate the interesting places one gets to visit. As a counter to that slightly depressed commentary, I should add that I have specifically had some brilliant trips to Paris over the years, associated with work (as well as other trips such as my h Continue reading
