Author Archives: Stephen

Why I don’t share Elsevier’s vision of the transition to open access

Posted on October 3, 2017 by Stephen

Last week Elsevier’s VP for Policy and Communications, Gemma Hersh, published a think-piece on the company’s vision of the transition to open access (OA). She makes some valid points but glosses over others that I would like to pick up on. Some of … Continue reading →

Posted in Open Access | Tagged | 6 Comments

Does science need to be saved? A response to Sarewitz.

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Stephen

I wrote this piece a few months ago at the invitation of The New Atlantis. It was supposed to be one of a collection of responses to a polemical essay that they published last year on the parlous state of … Continue reading →

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BAMEed: the voices of the people

Posted on June 25, 2017 by Stephen

At the beginning of June I attended the first BAMEed conference. It was an unexpectedly memorable and inspiring occasion. Final panel discussion at #BAMEed2017 Though billed as an “unconference” – a sort of self-organising gathering that fills old fogies like me … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching | 2 Comments

University rankings are fake news. How do we fix them?

Posted on May 16, 2017 by Stephen

This post is based on a short presentation I gave as part of a panel at a meeting today on Understanding Global University Rankings: Their Data and Influence, organised by HESPA (Higher Education Strategic Planners Association). Yes, it’s a ‘manel’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Science, Scientific Life | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The Cathedral on the Marsh

Posted on May 13, 2017 by Stephen

I’ve already shared this video on Twitter and Facebook but wanted to post it here as a more permanent record. Two weeks ago I fulfilled the ambition, held since I had seen Nic Stacey’s and Jim Al-Khalili’s quite wonderful BBC documentary … Continue reading →

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The March for Science: advocacy masterstroke or PR misfire?

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Stephen

Last night made my way to an upstairs room at The Castle pub near Farringdon to participate in a debate organised by Stempra on the forthcoming March for Science. The panel (Photo by Anastasia Stefanidou) The question before the panel and … Continue reading →

Posted in Science & Politics | 2 Comments

Grim resolve at the House of Commons on the scientific priorities for Brexit

Posted on March 24, 2017 by Stephen

On Tuesday morning last week MPs, MEPs, and representatives of various organisations with a stake in post-Brexit UK science gathered in the Churchill Committee room at the House of Commons for the launch of  the “Scientific priorities for Brexit” report, … Continue reading →

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Science, art and Art

Posted on March 18, 2017 by Stephen

Last week I attended the award ceremony of the Wellcome Image Awards. Every time I go to this event I tell myself I’ll submit an entry for the following year, but somehow I never manage to get a submission organised. I suspect my … Continue reading →

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Interview with the author

Posted on February 18, 2017 by Stephen

Those of you who have read all 346 posts on my Reciprocal Space blog will have no need to read this one. You probably already have a sense of what I do and what I’m like – my science, my … Continue reading →

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Status Report – February 2017

Posted on February 14, 2017 by Stephen

I said when I started this blog in 2008 that I would not promise to post regularly, so as to avoid the endless repetition of apologies for failing to write. And I’m not about to start apologising now, even though … Continue reading →

Posted in ICYMI | 2 Comments

ICYMI No.10 – New Year’s Resolution

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Stephen

Along with many of my academic colleagues from across the nation, I was asked by the Times Higher Education to set down at least one new year’s resolution for 2017. I drew inspiration from Richard Hamming (whom I wrote about … Continue reading →

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2016 in pictures

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Stephen

Rather than attempt to sum up this tumultuous year in yet more words, let me share with you some of the photographs I took in 2016. The image below is an embedded album from my Flickr account. I’m not sure … Continue reading →

Posted in Fun, Science & Art | 2 Comments