Tag Archives: students

Ph.D. survival: is a jack of all trades a master of none?

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Steve Caplan

Over the years science has changed a great deal. In just the last 50 years or so we’ve seen a major revolution in scientific research, due primarily to our understanding of DNA and ultimately how it codes for protein. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, research, science, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Good Mentorship, Passover and “Let my people go!”

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Steve Caplan

Several days ago I had scheduled a lab lunch with my group, where I was supposed to treat everyone to Sushi in honor of a paper that one of my students recently had accepted. However, someone was sick, and we … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, research, science | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Occam’s Thermometer

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Steve Caplan

Way back when I was an Occam’s Typewriter Irregular—that is to say, before Henry supplied me with his magic evolution-enhanced pellets—I wrote a blog about critical thinking and children. Now as a Regular—thanks to the Gee pellets—I would like to … Continue reading →

Posted in humor, research, science, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

A sense of entitlement

Posted on March 26, 2011 by Steve Caplan

Some years ago when I was looking for a job, I had an interview at a university on the East Coast of the US. One of the search committee members picked me up, and on the way we had a … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, research, science | Tagged , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Money and the perversion of science

Posted on March 12, 2011 by Steve Caplan

Having just returned the grant review session at the NIH I thought that this would be a particularly good time to bring up something that has been bothering me for a number of years. It’s quite sad, but I’ve slowly … Continue reading →

Posted in research, science | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The four Yorkshiremen at NIH…

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Steve Caplan

I said it. It didn’t mean to slip out, but it did. Well, I can’t cap the genie back in the bottle, can I? So here it is: “When I was at the NIH…” When I was a young student, … Continue reading →

Posted in research, science | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

In search of a caption: what are they doing?

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Steve Caplan
Posted in Education | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

An imposter with a pen—part two

Posted on January 9, 2011 by Steve Caplan

Rather than respond one by one to all of the kind wishes and wise words in response to “Imposter with a pen”, I thought that I’d add a brief blog to let you all know that I “survived” the book … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 18 Comments

Early exposure to skeptical thinking: navigating the chicken and egg syndrome

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Steve Caplan

I live in the midwest area of the United States, where sidewalks in neighborhoods are a luxury, and you are a “nobody” if you don’t own a car. Or two. And a pickup truck—the bigger the better. Cars and driving … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments