Author Archives: rpg

About rpg

Scientist, poet, gadfly

On mutations

Posted on 27 May 2010 by rpg

Venter had more than one point mutation to deal with:

Posted in Science | 8 Comments

On synthesis

Posted on 21 May 2010 by rpg

Oh my God, we’re all going to die, exclaimed the Daily Mail today. Well, we are all going to die some day, but not because of the paper from the J. Craig Venter Institute, published in Science. I’m having a … Continue reading →

Posted in Rants, Science | 21 Comments

On defecting

Posted on 17 May 2010 by rpg

Jenny has a new shiny. It’s a device for imaging chemiluminescence–a standard procedure in any lab that works with proteins. The traditional way of doing this is on film, but it seems a lot quicker, safer and environmentally-friendlier to do … Continue reading →

Posted in Rants, Science | 20 Comments

On the profit motive

Posted on 16 May 2010 by rpg

It’s just not funny any more. This tweet: Dangerous advice. Fever of +105F go to the ER! RT @homeopathyworks: Hot baby, less is better for your Children’s fevers http://om.ly/jgzJ made me fall off my chair. The argument is that if … Continue reading →

Posted in Homeopathy, Rants, Science-less Sunday | 29 Comments

On copyediting

Posted on 28 April 2010 by rpg

Copyediting is an activity that when not being actively maligned tends to be overlooked. But it’s a necessary step in science communication and publishing because clarity of expression is pretty darned crucial to getting your message across and avoiding misunderstandings. … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Rants | 28 Comments

On unfortunate juxtapositions

Posted on 25 April 2010 by rpg

There’s an Italian cafe/deli round the corner. It’s a quiet place, which seems to suit the proprietors well in a Black Books-sort of way (although without the personality defects): they open when they feel like it and there are rarely … Continue reading →

Posted in Science-less Sunday | 17 Comments

On Memories

Posted on 18 April 2010 by rpg

Scurry has written about memories. The skies over London have been similarly homeopathic this weekend–clear blue skies (like water), with no aeroplanes (like homeopathic preparations). The Memory of Air Flight. I went up Stave Hill yesterday and shot the video … Continue reading →

Posted in Homeopathy, Rants, Science-less Sunday | 14 Comments

On Peer Review

Posted on 15 April 2010 by rpg

(This is a guest blog I wrote for the Research Information Network.) I’m a fan of peer review. There, I’ve said it. And I’m not saying it in the way that Sir Winston Churchill famously spoke of democracy; ‘the worst … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Rants | 41 Comments