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Category Archives: Science & Politics
Science, it’s a bloody marvel
Michael Brooks has scratched beneath the glossy surface of science to write a revealing and thoroughly entertaining book about its practitioners. By cutting so close to the scientific bone that it spills blood, his “Free Radicals” departs violently from the … Continue reading
Posted in History of Science, Science & Politics, Scientific Life
Tagged Book review, Michael Brooks
1 Comment
Numb or Numbered? Part 2.
Back in April — it seems so long ago now — I wrote about the problems created in university life science courses by the relatively low uptake of maths by the student intake. It provoked a very long and thoughtful … Continue reading
Posted in Maths, Science, Science & Politics
Tagged Maths, numeracy, Times Higher Education
22 Comments
Libel Reform – where are we?
Regular readers of this blog will be probably be aware of the ongoing campaign to reform the libel laws of England and Wales. These laws have pernicious effects in many aspects of public life — including science and medicine. They … Continue reading
Posted in Libel Reform, Science, Science & Politics
Tagged ben goldacre, Libel reform, Parliament, Science, simon singh
4 Comments
Here comes Impact
In UK scientific circles and the wider realm of academia impact has been around for a while now. Grant forms incorporate large blank spaces in which applicants are required to outline their plans for ensuring that the work they hope … Continue reading
Posted in Communication, Science, Science & Politics
Tagged impact, Science, Science Policy
7 Comments
You should have seen the look on her face
The last king of England to lead an army on the battlefield was George II, at the Battle of Dettingen in Bavaria in 1743 during the War of the Austrian Succession. The last President of the United States to serve … Continue reading
Posted in Science & Politics, Technology
Tagged Hilary Clinton, Obama, Osama bin Laden, technology, Video, war
23 Comments
Don’t submit. Submit.
We came. We chanted. We lobbied. We petitioned. And in the end, thanks to the Science is Vital Campaign and the persuasive efforts of CaSE and the learned societies and captains of high-tech industry, the UK science budget was protected … Continue reading
You may not be interested in this but this is interested in you
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, … Continue reading
Posted in Science & Politics
Tagged Libel reform, Lobby, Parliament, Sense about Science
10 Comments
Interesting Times
“May you live in interesting times”, goes the Chinese curse. Chinese scientists are certainly living in interesting times (as reported today in Nature) but they are unlikely to see it as a curse. The budget of the Chinese Academy of … Continue reading
The shove that dare not speak its name
The following is a commentary that has been published today (in a slightly edited form) in Chemistry and Industry. Only the excellent need apply. Such is the message on research funding from nobelist Sir Paul Nurse, incoming president of the … Continue reading
Posted in Science, Science & Politics
Tagged Excellence, Pressure, Science funding, Temperature, Volume
42 Comments
The Importance of Being Confident
The government is worried about the economy and rightly so. It’s in a bit of a state. When Value Added Tax was raised by 2.5% to 20% at the turn of the year, there were nervous glances to see what … Continue reading
Burying Pigs and Information
Ben Goldacre wrote a short blogpost today to bemoan the habit of many media outlets of not linking to the primary sources for their reports and headlines. He was referring to stories that have appeared today about Asian gangs abusing white … Continue reading
Posted in Science, Science & Media, Science & Politics
Tagged animal welfare, foot-and-mouth disease, science communication
17 Comments
Snapshots of 2010
I wasn’t going to do a review of the year’s blogposts but, on the off-chance that the recent move to the shiny new site at Occam’s Typewriter has attracted some new readers, I thought I would provide a brief guide … Continue reading
