A rather silly posting this week, but at this point in the semester everyone needs a drink. If you were a bartender though, which tipple would you offer to each type of life scientist? TIR makes a few suggestions to all the amateur mixologists out there… Continue reading
Unthinking reliance on commercial research aids and reagents can cause a debilitating erosion in basic knowledge. Continue reading
A scientific field’s progression to maturity mirrors the production of an oil painting. Continue reading
Nothing beats the thrill of scientific discovery. Continue reading
Despite its stresses, science seems to provide an elixir for extended youth. Continue reading
One of the peculiarities of academia is that the skills that bring success at one level are no guarantee of success at the next.
We recently looked at the Superheroes of the Lab, everyday scientists you’ve probably met who are harbouring different kinds of superpowers. This week, we’ll be looking at their implacable antagonists – the lab fiends.
The superhero craze shows no sign of abating in Hollywood, but a research lab remains as likely a place as any to find unusual talents (after all, how many Marvel characters were created as a result of experiments?). Here, in the first of a two-part series, is TIR’s guide to the superheroes of the lab – science’s own Suicide Squad? Continue reading
Stress is a near-constant feature of life in academia, but that doesn’t mean it’s automatically a bad thing.
Science is big on collaboration. With such a variety of knowledge and expertise it’s crucial to get advice from, and work alongside, people who are specialists in a particular area. But while that sounds great on paper, it’s surprisingly hard to achieve in practice. Collaborations are actually relationships in a real sense, and like real relationships, they’re very difficult to get right. In fact, many scientific collaborations bear more resemblance to an arranged marriage than a love match.
Total Internal Reflection 