Latest posts

The Sigil Has Landed

Posted on 8 August 2012 by Henry Gee

Ladies and Gentlemen – you may now download, if you wish, pre-release advance copies of  Siege of Stars, the first volume of The Sigil, for US$15. If you do that, I am assured that you’ll be entitled to download the final version for free. And, following the excellent example of Dr S. C. of Omaha, you can not only read the book, you can Continue reading →

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Stupidity Molecule Identified

Posted on 8 August 2012 by Bob O'H

Researchers at the University of Utrecht have identified a molecule that could play a key role in controlling how stupid headlines develop in scientific press releases.

Neurobiologists are trying to understand how titles that are at first sensible differentiate into specialised pieces of text that are sensationalist and which can be classified into Continue reading →

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Kaddish II

Posted on 8 August 2012 by Henry Gee

No, no, no, no, no.  I know you were all trying to be nice, responding to my complaint about the lack of any memorial to the Israeli athletes gunned down at the Munich Games in 1972, with cosy phrases about how nice it was that me and Crox Minor held our own memorial; and about making do with silences for non-specific absent friends. I have thought Continue reading →

Posted in antisemitism, munich 1972, olympics, Politicrox | Comments Off on Kaddish II

Manners

Posted on 6 August 2012 by Henry Gee

I have written elsewhere on the campaign to get a skate park up and running in Cromer, discussing the fact that whereas elderly residents are amply served by the community, young people, in particular, suffer for want of constructive activity or harmless ways to let off steam. Mrs Crox and Crox Minor are actively involved in a campaign to create a Continue reading →

Posted in Benjamin Cabbell-Manners, Blog Norfolk!, Cromer, Cromer Hall, Cromer Hall Estate, Norman Lamb, north norfolk district council, planning application, Politicrox, skatepark, the meadow | Comments Off on Manners

Mensch

Posted on 6 August 2012 by Henry Gee

It’s great to hear some good news. Team GB is practically buried under the weight of its gold medals. We at the Maison des Girrafes thrill to the winning smile of Mo Farah. Mrs Crox admires Cath Jessica Ennis’ abs, while I can’t stop admiring her legs. Even Andy Murray is smiling. Continue reading →

Posted in Cromer, Domesticrox, louise mensch, metallica, Politicrox, Politics, several species of small furry animal gathered together in a cave and groovibg with a Pict, tories | Comments Off on Mensch

Uncertainty is Not Terminal….

Posted on 3 August 2012 by Athene Donald

…it applies to life and it applies to tackling science. It was the phrase picked out by one tweeter from the speech I gave at the University of Exeter a couple of weeks ago when receiving, with some nervousness, an honorary ScD. It was a phrase I used to describe the fact that many of them, as new graduates, might be heading off into a future of gr Continue reading →

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Spineless in Cromer

Posted on 3 August 2012 by Henry Gee

Many years when the world was young (OK, it was the mid-1980s) I was a graduate student at the University of Cambridge, having lots of fun playing in rock bands and pretending to do a Ph.D. In the gaps between I taught second-year undergraduate zoology students about the principles of systematics, and also about the origin of the vertebrates, the g Continue reading →

Posted in before the backbone, Hello Cthulhu, Hox genes, origin of vertebrates, Science Is Vital, squashy sea creatures, the internet is made of cats, the spine song, vertebrates, Writing & Reading | Comments Off on Spineless in Cromer

What’s in a name?: towards the development of a novel analysis of grant titles

Posted on 2 August 2012 by Cath@VWXYNot?

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about how I’m going to be responsible for helping all trainees in my new department identify, apply for, and manage their awards (comment on my post, you bastards please!). I’ve spent some time since then exporting all trainee award entries in our comprehensive grants database – which contains ever Continue reading →

Posted in career, English language, fun with language, grant wrangling, science | Comments Off on What’s in a name?: towards the development of a novel analysis of grant titles

A snapshot of our collection – history

Posted on 31 July 2012 by Frank Norman

Earlier this month I hosted a meeting of CHILL. It is a group of independent health libraries which meets three times a year in the premises of one or other of the members. The meetings are an opportunity to share experiences, organize joint activities and to see different libraries.  CHILL brings together a diverse range of health libraries and in Continue reading →

Posted in History, Libraries and librarians | Comments Off on A snapshot of our collection – history

“You can’t read this book” but you should

Posted on 31 July 2012 by Stephen

Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games spread a warm glow through liberal hearts. His imaginative sweep over British history and culture, which managed to be both reverent and irreverent, was filled with a human chaos that constituted a nicely judged response to the shock and awe of the massed ranks who launched the Continue reading →

Posted in book review, Freedom of Expression, Libel Reform, Nick Cohen, Science & Politics | Comments Off on “You can’t read this book” but you should