Latest posts

In which I lose my temper

Posted on 14 March 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

Late last year I blogged about the new health and safety rule handed down on high from the research council that funds our institute: all staff must wear safety glasses at all times while in the laboratory – regardless of what they are doing. I won’t rehash my objections here, except to summarize that about 95% of what I do involves transferring no Continue reading →

Posted in Health and safety gone mad | Comments Off on In which I lose my temper

Retribution

Posted on 14 March 2011 by Henry Gee

Human beings have an astonishing capacity for five four five things:

1) Double standards;
2) Inability to understand relative risks;
3) Taking things personally;
4) er…
5) … that’s it.

Item 1: I spent my teenage years at a Rudolf Steiner school. While my time there was very happy and I emerged almost normal from the experience, I Continue reading →

Posted in Research, Science Is Vital | Comments Off on Retribution

Spring forward

Posted on 13 March 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

Woohoo, daylight saving time! Now, if only the rain would stop, it might feel like this winter will end at some point…

The following conversation occurred last week, during a regular conference call with some US collaborators:

Collaborator: “We were just wondering for our next call – do you guys change your clocks at the same time Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Silliness | Comments Off on Spring forward

Chinese Whispers, Truth and the Media

Posted on 13 March 2011 by Athene Donald

A couple of years ago, when I won the L’Oreal/UNESCO For Women in Science prize for Europe, L’Oreal asked me to prepare various bits of material for press releases and other publicity. Their initial brief press release mentioned both that I did work relevant to prosthetic devices (true in so far as I work on cell-substrate interactions) and that my Continue reading →

Posted in accuracy, Alzheimer's Disease, Communicating Science, journalism, L'Oreal For Women in Science, the Guardian, the Observer, Women in science | Comments Off on Chinese Whispers, Truth and the Media

The future of Imperial Science Blogging

Posted on 13 March 2011 by Erika Cule

On Wednesday I witnessed the future of Science Blogging at Imperial College, when I ran a Science Blogging Workshop for Graduate Students. I have blogged before about Imperial College Graduate Schools‘ Transferable Skills Training Programme. The Graduate Schools offer a range of courses, so I was surprised that there was not a course on Scien Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Meta, Science Blogging, students | Comments Off on The future of Imperial Science Blogging

Money and the perversion of science

Posted on 12 March 2011 by Steve Caplan

Having just returned the grant review session at the NIH I thought that this would be a particularly good time to bring up something that has been bothering me for a number of years.

It’s quite sad, but I’ve slowly come to the opinion that in science, just like in economics, money is “the mother of all metrics”. When I was a student, money mattered Continue reading →

Posted in funding, grants, money, postdocs, Research, science, students, training | Comments Off on Money and the perversion of science

Rising

Posted on 12 March 2011 by Henry Gee

… is the title of a terrific album by 1970s beat combo Ritchie Blackmore and his Rhythm Rainbows.
rainbow
But I digress.

The title of this post is a perhaps witty allusion to the properties of sap at this time of year – the observation that THINGS are, notwithstanding inasmuch as which, starting to throw off the stultifying shackles of winter. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Norfolk!, bunnies, canis croxorum, Cromer, Domesticrox, erections, ritchie blackmore's rainbow, Silliness, Writing & Reading | Comments Off on Rising

Ignobel behaviour

Posted on 11 March 2011 by rpg

Without further comment.
Tweet from Marc Abrahams

Posted in bat, fellatio, Friday afternoon, penguin, penis, poo, toilet | Comments Off on Ignobel behaviour

Germ warfare and sibling rivalry

Posted on 11 March 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

A few years ago, I witnessed an interaction between two of my nephews that resulted in a moment of pure blinding insight into my own childhood.

We were staying at Mr E Man’s sister’s place over Christmas, as were his other sister, her husband, and their two boys. The host family also have two boys, and the four cousins were thrilled to not only be Continue reading →

Posted in family, Medicine, personal | Comments Off on Germ warfare and sibling rivalry

You may not be interested in this but this is interested in you

Posted on 11 March 2011 by Stephen

I was banging on last week about how scientists should use words rather than guns during public engagement. Words are safer — and often more effective.

But they are not completely safe. In fact, they can sometimes be rather dangerous, especially when used without due care and attention in England and Wales, where the libel laws take a keen interest Continue reading →

Posted in Libel Reform, Lobby, Parliament, Science & Politics, Sense about Science | Comments Off on You may not be interested in this but this is interested in you