Latest posts

Gratuitous Silly Video

Posted on 4 November 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

‘cos it’s Friday.

A friend emailed this to me during the hockey game last night, and even though the Canucks were losing 5-1 I spent the next few minutes LMAO.

Continue reading →
Posted in Music, Silliness, sport, video | Comments Off on Gratuitous Silly Video

Let’s democratise the bejesus out of libel reform [32]

Posted on 3 November 2011 by Stephen

This week the Guardian made the astonishing revelation that a man who is heir to the throne by an accident of birth and who is the representative on Earth of precisely no-one has been enjoying the right of veto over government legislation. I think this might be a good time to strap on our democratic boots and make our way to Parliament.

Don’t Continue reading →

Posted in defamation, democracy, Libel Reform, Parliament, Science & Politics | Comments Off on Let’s democratise the bejesus out of libel reform [32]

On nominations

Posted on 3 November 2011 by rpg

There’s no way to read the full article without a multi-hundred pound subscription, but I see that Research Fortnight UK has announced its nominations for the Research Fortnight award:

Policy stars shortlisted for Research Fortnight award
02-11-2011
The chief executive of the Technology Strategy Board, Iain Gray, social scientist Teresa Rees, Continue reading →

Posted in Jenny Rohn, People, Research Fortnight | Comments Off on On nominations

Futures?

Posted on 3 November 2011 by KristiV

*cough*

*coughcoughcough*

*cough!*

Posted in cities, climate change, coastline erosion, Galveston, seawall, sustainability | Comments Off on Futures?

Vegas

Posted on 2 November 2011 by Henry Gee

I’ve just arrived in Vegas for the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. This is the view from my hotel bedroom window. No, seriously.

I’ve never been to Vegas before, and as for first impressions, I have to agree with the several people who have said it’s like Disneyland for grownups. I had expected it t Continue reading →

Posted in bling, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, kitch, paleontology, puddles three and a half, Science Is Vital, Silliness, vegas | Comments Off on Vegas

Levelling the Playing Field

Posted on 2 November 2011 by Athene Donald

This article has been published in the November issue of Physics World.

The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE),which has been used to measure the quality of UK research for more than 20 years, has now morphed into the equally clunky sounding Research Excellence Framework (REF). Like its predecessor, the REF is a means for “judging” research in univ Continue reading →

Posted in consultation, Equality, HEFCE, maternity leave, outputs, REF, Research, Women in science | Comments Off on Levelling the Playing Field

On Science careers for post-docs…. [7]

Posted on 1 November 2011 by Sylvia McLain

and some PIs are good guys (really)

I have been reading about David Willetts round table discussion from both Athene Donald and Jenny Rohn. These two fellow Occam T bloggers have been writing about science careers (particularly with respect to post-docs and early career researchers) pretty prolifically in the last few months as have been lots of o Continue reading →

Posted in Athene Donald, David Willetts, Jenny Rohn, science careers, Science Is Vital | Comments Off on On Science careers for post-docs…. [7]

Plight of the living deadlines

Posted on 31 October 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

Today was a momentous day.

I submitted two progress reports to our private sector collaborator, looked at my calendar, and realised that I don’t have to lurch immediately into a panic about another deadline!

Yep, for the first time since July, I don’t have any urgent deadlines to meet! Continue reading →

Posted in career, grant wrangling, whining | Comments Off on Plight of the living deadlines

Three steps to Heaven

Posted on 31 October 2011 by rpg

Back in August I finally got around to writing the ‘Corporate Twitter Guide’ they’d been on at me to produce. Being the sort of guy I am, I actually did it in twenty tweets.

Because I’ve just spent five minutes looking for it so I could point colleagues, who will be twittering in my absence, to it, I thought I should also po Continue reading →

Posted in twitter, you | Comments Off on Three steps to Heaven

In which science careers get a fair hearing [24]

Posted on 31 October 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

Once again I revisit the question broached by Science is Vital in our recent report Careering Out of Control? A Crisis in UK Science Careers. Last week I participated in a round table discussion about this very issue co-hosted by Paul Nurse, the President of the Royal Society, and David Willetts, the Minister of State for Universities and Science. Continue reading →

Posted in careers, Policy, Science Funding, Science Is Vital, The profession of science | Comments Off on In which science careers get a fair hearing [24]