Latest posts

Middle-earth News Just In

Posted on 6 July 2011 by Henry Gee

I’ve literally just heard from my agent to learn that we have regained the rights to my book The Science of Middle-earth. This means that I am free to publish a comprehensively revised and updated edition in time for the Hobbit movie which comes out in December 2012. Any suggestions of publishers, or serious publication offers gratefully rece Continue reading →

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In which I surface briefly

Posted on 6 July 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

Greetings, Earthlings: just emerging from my self-imposed laboratory exile for a quick update. I do still exist, and my radio silence can be explained by the fact that I’m in the home stretch of my resubmission. For those of you who’ve lost the plot, I’m referring to my big screen paper, which I sent to an excellent cell biology journal Continue reading →

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Tuesday Pet Peeve: shoulder check

Posted on 5 July 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

I’m a reasonably competent computer user. I can’t do anything fancy, but I’ve got the basics down pat. And I’ve built up my folder (and sub-folder and sub-sub-folder and sub-sub-sub-folder) structure in a very logical manner that allows me to find any given document in a matter of seconds.

I can even type somewhat rapidly an Continue reading →

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On the Journal with No Name

Posted on 5 July 2011 by rpg

There was a little bit of kerfuffle a week or two ago. Apparently some rather well-respected institutions (and the Max Planck Institute) decided to announce they were thinking of launching a journal. Maybe. In a year’s time. With no editor-in-chief and no business plan. Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Open Access, publishing, The Journal with No Name, wellcome | Comments Off on On the Journal with No Name

Printers

Posted on 5 July 2011 by Henry Gee

I’ve never had much luck with printers. No – not those fine people who print things, but those devices we attach to computers that facilitate that tricky phase transition from ones and zeroes to ground-up beetles on parchment. Recently, though, I’ve had so much bad luck, that if it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have Continue reading →

Posted in Dell, Epson, Hewlett Packard, iGadget, Printers, Technicrox, Writing & Reading | Comments Off on Printers

Bigfoot

Posted on 4 July 2011 by Henry Gee

The day Kennedy was shot. Or Princess Diana died. Or when you first consciously heard Silence is Golden by the Tremeloes. These are the occasions where you remember very clearly where you were and what you were doing. One such day was the morning after the disaster in which the Space Shuttle Challenger blew up not long after launch. Continue reading →

Posted in Apparitions, bigfoot, Eight Foot Tall Invisible Rabbits Called Harvey, Research, sasquatch, Science-fiction, several species of small furry animal gathered together in a cave and groovibg with a Pict, Writing & Reading, yeti | Comments Off on Bigfoot

The horrible F-word

Posted on 4 July 2011 by Steve Caplan

A week ago I returned from Washington DC from an NIH grant review session. At NIH, the forbidden F–word, is of course “funded.”

However, as bad as the funding is right now, sometimes we scientists need to put things in perspective. A real F-word that is out there in many states in many areas of the US right now is: FLOODING

Continue reading →
Posted in aerial view, breach, dam, disaster, flood, Iowa, levee, Missouri River, Nebraska, omaha, South Dakota, under water | Comments Off on The horrible F-word

Victims and Support Systems

Posted on 4 July 2011 by Athene Donald

In my recent post on dealing with (or failing to do so) inappropriate remarks, the importance of mentoring was raised by Jenny Koenig. She said

This is where mentoring is really important: to have someone else to listen and to reassure you that it’s not your fault.

Continue reading →
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Bathroom breaks and other news of the day

Posted on 3 July 2011 by Steve Caplan

I’ve come to the realization that a little chronic pain can be good for the soul. That is, if the chronic is not too chronic. Readers of this blog may remember my whining and complaining about neck pain—a recovery and more pain.

I am now delighted to report the absence of pain—so palpable that I can acutely feel it. Continue reading →

Posted in bathroom, bladder, cheat notes, cheating, crappy exams, education, I-was-blind-and-now-I-can-see, neck pain, pain in the neck, physical therapy, Research, restroom, rustling papers in the stall, science, stretch | Comments Off on Bathroom breaks and other news of the day

Grown Not Made – a Guest Post from Crox Minor

Posted on 3 July 2011 by Henry Gee

Yesterday, at the Lifeboat Café, in Cromer, me and Crox Major were enjoying our sausages, egg and chips

IMG_5429

when:
“Hey Dad!”
“Hmm?”
“ You know it says ,“Grown, Not Made” on this Heinz tomato ketchup bottle? Continue reading →

Posted in Aid for Developing Countries, Bono, Cromer, Domesticrox, Silliness, The Thoughts of Crox Minor | Comments Off on Grown Not Made – a Guest Post from Crox Minor