Author Archives: rpg

About rpg

Scientist, poet, gadfly

On inevitability

Posted on 17 November 2010 by rpg

While cooking dinner, I was pondering a twitter conversation, and some news reports that had been referenced. With my vast expanse of science journalism (hah) on the one hand, and personal insight into major newsworthy events on the other, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | 12 Comments

On the lunatics, and the asylum

Posted on 6 November 2010 by rpg

We’re doomed, aren’t we? Herbal remedies are to be held to the same standards as other medicine. Naturally, the loonies are up in arms about this, possibly because paying for testing will eat into their profits. Their comments are at … Continue reading →

Posted in The stupid, it burns | 20 Comments

Open letter to Simon Hughes, MP

Posted on 20 October 2010 by rpg

Cross-posted from the BioLOG. Dear Simon Thank you for signing Early Day Motion 767. This implies you support continued (if not increased) public funding of scientific research, along with many of your colleagues in the Coalition. Today we learned that … Continue reading →

Posted in Nonsense, Politics | Comments Off on Open letter to Simon Hughes, MP

Just you wait

Posted on 16 October 2010 by rpg

(Comments are open at http://rg-d.com/BioLOG/2010/10/16/just-you-wait/)

Posted in Politics | 16 Comments

Lost at Sea

Posted on 10 October 2010 by rpg

If I might be permitted an observation, there is something wrong when, in a forum expressly for the purpose of bug reports and feedback, a user’s perfectly valid comments are dismissed out of hand. It’s bad enough when an unaffiliated … Continue reading →

Posted in Rants | 7 Comments

On running scared

Posted on 9 September 2010 by rpg

(Crosspost from All your basepair are belong to us). A question for the god-like entities inhabiting NPG: following yesterday’s speech by Vince Cable, was there a spike in traffic to naturejobs.com?

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

On the winds of change

Posted on 8 September 2010 by rpg

In case you don’t read Jenny’s blog (you should) please head over to Facebook and join the revolution to ensure we maintain a decent amount of science funding in the UK. Thanks.

Posted in Funding | Comments Off on On the winds of change

On Web 2.0

Posted on 5 September 2010 by rpg

As promised yesterday, I’m going to write down my notes from Saturday’s final panel session of Science Online London 2010. But first, I want to say a couple of things about the Research Information Network report that Rob Procter discussed, … Continue reading →

Posted in Internet | 21 Comments

On the easy questions

Posted on 4 September 2010 by rpg

I’ve just got back from a tiring but awesome couple of days at the Science Online London conference (which–conflict of interest declaration–I helped organize). I’ll be writing up my speaker notes for the final panel tomorrow, I hope, but in … Continue reading →

Posted in Science | 8 Comments

On Hawking

Posted on 2 September 2010 by rpg

Bought Eureka. Came with free copy of The Times, which I threw away. —earlier today on Twitter So Stephen Hawking has discovered Occam’s Razor. William of Ockham (can I call him ‘Bill’?) is the monk and philosopher to whom is … Continue reading →

Posted in Nonsense | 8 Comments