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Announcing: the first documented Occam’s Typewriter scientific collaboration

Posted on 27 September 2011 by Steve Caplan

I am very pleased to announce–after many months of work, revisions, and re-revisions–(to the best of my knowledge) the first scientific collaboration born out of Occam’s Typewriter. After all, in addition to all the peripheral fun of being a scientist and contributing to the dialog on OT, it’s certainly nice to receive true Continue reading →

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A momentary lapse of reason—Chapter Twelve

Posted on 26 September 2011 by rpg

Chapter Eleven

The Interview

Toni wanted to laugh. It was absurd: how could the scientist miss the whole thing; the shouting, the air so heavy with emotion?

“Doesn’t seem like it, does it? Continue reading →

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2011-2012 Hockey Pool!

Posted on 26 September 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

Back by popular demand!

(Lavaland asked in person at Saturday night’s Canucks-Ducks pre-season game, and ScientistMother asked on Twitter this morning. They’re both popular, right?!)

Continue reading →
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The Maison Des Girrafes Caption Competition #353

Posted on 25 September 2011 by Henry Gee

Pictured recently in Leipzig, at the memorial to Felix Mendelssohn.
IMG_5839

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Perusing the Papers [12]

Posted on 25 September 2011 by Stephen

Last night, having rounded off a busy week with a day of manual labour helping to repair my mother-in-law’s kitchen floor, I retired to bed early with the newspaper. Saturday’s Guardian, if you want to know. It was delightful. I hadn’t taken the time to read the paper for ages and was pleased to rediscover that singular pleasure.

Continue reading →
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Nodes and Links

Posted on 25 September 2011 by Athene Donald

This week I was invited to talk at the annual conference organised by Postdocs at the Institute of Cancer Research; the Conference’s theme was Networking and I was asked to talk about

how networking has influenced your career and any top tips you might have regarding networking techniques.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to spend much of the day there Continue reading →

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One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich–no, no, in my life

Posted on 24 September 2011 by Steve Caplan

For the record, I had actually planned this blog for some time, but for one reason or another, never got around to writing and posting it. With the furor over scientists’ approach to work in the lab still fresh from Jenny’s recent blog on the 24/7 culture in some high-powered labs and the interesting threads that ensued, I think it̵ Continue reading →

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National Public Lands Day in a Drought City

Posted on 24 September 2011 by KristiV

2011 has been a year of exceptional heat and drought throughout most of the state of Texas, and 2012 isn’t looking much better. Although the city of San Antonio obtains water from the artesian Edwards Aquifer, this is a limited natural resource for a rapidly expanding population, all of whom live and work in a semi-arid climate at the edge of Continue reading →

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Leipzig

Posted on 23 September 2011 by Henry Gee

I’m at breakfast with my iPad and a cup of coffee, so just got time to carve a word before I dash off. I’m in Leipzig at the inaugural meeting of the European Society for the Study of Human Evolution (ESHE).
IMG_5836
Central Leipzig, recently. Human evolution not pictured

Human evolution is always topical, but what with many new fossil discover Continue reading →

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In which I question the 24/7 lab mentality

Posted on 21 September 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

Is there a strong correlation between the number of hours you are physically present in a lab and the pace and success of your project?

The furore over Nature’s 24/7 lab feature, published a few weeks ago, is still sending out the occasional ripple. In case you missed it, the 31 August issue of the journal featured three pieces: a beautifully writ Continue reading →

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