Author Archives: Cath@VWXYNot?

About Cath@VWXYNot?

"one of the sillier science bloggers [...] I thought I should give a warning to the more staid members of the community." - Bob O'Hara, December 2010

Why a three-year PhD is not necessarily shite

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

A couple of weeks ago I was chatting to a student in my department who’s just starting to write her thesis, and I mentioned that I wrote mine in three months, from start to finish. Several heads in the vicinity … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, career, education, personal, science, UK | 44 Comments

Friday funny

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

I’ve been saving this for a miserable wet Friday just like this one! Recent conversation… New colleague: “How’s it going?” Me: “Meh” NC: “What’s up?” Me: “I’m having some issues with [PI’s] ethics” NC, eyes widening dramatically: “OMG! What did … Continue reading →

Posted in career, communication, grant wrangling, silliness | 7 Comments

A moment of silence…

Posted on February 3, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

…for the White Stripes?* NAH! A few moments of blistering NOISE is far more appropriate! Thank you for the music, guys. *people – music journalists, no less – STILL think they’re brother and sister?! Weird.

Posted in music, videos | 4 Comments

How to impress your friendly local manuscript editor

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

Treat them as an inferior until you need something from them. This will make them incredibly grateful for your sudden interest in them when you… …hand over a “close to final” manuscript that MUST be proofed and edited BY TOMORROW, … Continue reading →

Posted in career, English language, publishing, science | 30 Comments

The lions ate my punctuality

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

The NIH may be cracking down on “the dog ate my homework” excuses, but luckily other people are more forgiving. I was ever so slightly late for my own meeting this morning, but everyone accepted my proffered excuses. I’m sure … Continue reading →

Posted in cycling, photos, Vancouver | 13 Comments

Productivity? There’s an app for that

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

(Two, actually). Busy busy busy. Grants, conference abstracts, project management. All to be completed without (completely) neglecting household chores, exercise, and fun. I’ve recently started using a couple of iPhone apps that I’ve found very helpful, and that I’m reviewing … Continue reading →

Posted in blog buddies, career, grant wrangling, silliness, technology | 13 Comments

In teh Grauniad

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

When I was about 15, our local paper ran a special schools edition. They approached English teachers around the city, asking them to contribute pieces written by local students, and my teacher picked an essay I’d written. The essay was … Continue reading →

Posted in blog buddies, education, family, original research, personal, publishing, science, the media, UK | 13 Comments

BC rocks! (And trees!)

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

I like rain. I need rain. During my first summer in Vancouver, there was a dry spell that lasted for five or six weeks. By the third week I started to feel a bit weird, but couldn’t work out why. … Continue reading →

Posted in blog buddies, nature, personal, photos, Vancouver, whining | 19 Comments

Blogrolling: for the readers among my readers

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

Judging by the comments on my book review posts, and the book reviews I’ve seen many of you write on your own blogs, there are lots of fiction fans here at Occam’s Typewriter! So I’d like to refer you to … Continue reading →

Posted in blog buddies, blog roll, book review | 1 Comment

NIH cracks down on “the dog ate my email” excuses

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

I received a rather bizarre email from the US National Institutes of Health today. Their missives are usually rather mundane notifications of scheduled site down-time and the like, but this one was much more entertaining. The title – “NIH eRA … Continue reading →

Posted in career, communication, furry friends, grant wrangling | 12 Comments