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Not Following Directions in London: King’s Cross to Calthorpe Street

Posted on 23 February 2011 by KristiV

The surprise arrival of a package, containing a Red Nose Day T-shirt from my friend Dr. P.M. of Cambridge, reminded me that I have yet to write up the impressions from our medical history perambulations from February 2009. The idea was to try one or more of the walks described in Nick Black’s Walking London’s Medical History, take phot Continue reading →

Posted in London, medical history, urban public health, walking tour | Comments Off on Not Following Directions in London: King’s Cross to Calthorpe Street

On writing papers

Posted on 22 February 2011 by rpg

One languid Sydney lunchtime I copied a particularly egregious paragraph from one of my co-authors and emailed it to my boss, with simply a ‘!’ for comment. A few minutes later his reply snuck sheepishly into my inbox, with the single comment, “I have subjected my sandwiches to eating”, thus summing up pretty much all that i Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, papers, rants | Comments Off on On writing papers

Checking homeopathy – fat chance

Posted on 21 February 2011 by Austin

In which I get distracted. And even more geeky. (You’ll see why – keep reading.)

I am SO, SO BORED with homeopathy. Continue reading →

Posted in Annoyances, chess, Nerdishness, Pseudoscience | Comments Off on Checking homeopathy – fat chance

In which I ask my due

Posted on 21 February 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

When has good writing become such a cheap commodity that people seem reluctant to pay for it?

I still remember the first piece of proper science writing I ever did. The year was 2003, the place was Amsterdam, and my situation was bewildering: on the dole in the aftermath of an imploded start-up biotech company, I suddenly found myself with so many Continue reading →

Posted in Nostalgia, Writing | Comments Off on In which I ask my due

Expat scientists, Rare Disease Day 2011 and stupid politics

Posted on 20 February 2011 by Heather

I received notification through Facebook (who says LinkedIn is only for professional conversations, and Facebook only for silly pet antics?) from a Portuguese former colleague from my French Ph.D. lab, who has since gone to live in Germany, England, and now the U.S. Continue reading →

Posted in Guest posts | Comments Off on Expat scientists, Rare Disease Day 2011 and stupid politics

A working vacation

Posted on 20 February 2011 by Steve Caplan

Some time ago, one of my children asked me to explain what an oxymoron is, and I scrambled to find a good example. Well the title of this blog is a good one. Or is it?

Years ago as Ph. Continue reading →

Posted in blackberry, cell phone, Mexico, ornithology, oxymoron, Research, science, technology, vacation | Comments Off on A working vacation

Unknown Again, Naturally

Posted on 19 February 2011 by Henry Gee

Just in case you’re around, I’ll be in London on 1st March, waffling directionlessly about various themes connected with my forthcoming tome.

It’ll be a somewhat uninformed unformed ramble, so think of it as less of a lecture, more a seance happening workshop. All welcome.

Continue reading →
Posted in Apparitions, thinking, thinking about thinking, unknown, Writing, Writing & Reading | Comments Off on Unknown Again, Naturally

Scientists are Human too

Posted on 18 February 2011 by Athene Donald

As I took a painkiller for a headache with my breakfast the other day, in advance of a first year lecture to 350 undergraduates, I was reminded of the words from the Yeoman of the Guard sung by the mournful jester, Jack Point:

Though your head it may rack with a bilious attack,
And your senses with toothache you’re losing,
Don’t be mopy Continue reading →

Posted in caring responsibilities, lecturing, parents, Science Culture, students | Comments Off on Scientists are Human too

Scientists need to ask ‘important’ questions – oh and stop “whingeing”

Posted on 18 February 2011 by Sylvia McLain

Scientists need to ask ‘important’ questions – oh and stop “whingeing”

Science question time on Feb 16th – put on by the Biochemical Society, CaSE (Campaign for Science and Engineering) and the good folks from Imperial College was, I thought, an excellent event. An invigorating panel loaded with a large variety Continue reading →

Posted in Mark Walport, Science Question Time, SciQT, UK Science policy | Comments Off on Scientists need to ask ‘important’ questions – oh and stop “whingeing”

Regression to the “mean”

Posted on 15 February 2011 by Steve Caplan

They say that Steve Caplan is a mild-mannered scientist. But he pops into a phone-booth–no wait–that’s a thing of the past–he pops into the darkroom, and out comes Dr. Mean…

Well, I do have a temper. Perhaps it’s slow to boil, but occasionally I lose it. Continue reading →

Posted in author, egotism, humor, Research, science | Comments Off on Regression to the “mean”