Fashions come and go, but one toy seems to outlast all trends – Lego. And enthralling as these coloured bricks are in their own terms, they also offer an instructive means of explaining* one of the most important principles in science – reductionism. Continue reading →

Professor: You know, I never wanted to be a head of department.

Lab members appear, wearing white coats and carrying micropipettes.   Continue reading →

What’s the best portrayal of a scientist on TV? (Hint: it’s not who you think). Continue reading →

Fake news has been getting a lot of airtime recently, particularly in the wake of the American presidential election. There’s been much hand-wringing about how best to deal with the phenomenon, but the likelihood is that academics already have the solution.

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Charles Dickens’ Yuletide classic “A Christmas Carol” is all about how the curmudgeonly Scrooge learns to lighten up and let the festive spirit in. But what would it be like if Scrooge was a scientist? Continue reading →

For a bunch of people who are supposed to be really smart, scientists spend a huge amount of time feeling really stupid. Partly it’s a Socratic thing – the more you learn, the more you realise how little you know – but it’s also because there are few professions more in thrall to the notion of genius. Continue reading →

Scientists looking to improve their sterile technique would be wise to study the precepts of Japanese tea ceremony. Continue reading →

Luck probably plays a larger part in science than most people are prepared to admit. In fact, its role (no pun intended) is probably as large as it is in the arts. Continue reading →

Adversarial interactions in the sciences can be grouped into two categories: competition between models*, and competition between labs. One is a stimulant and a spur to good science; the other a recipe for rancour and often a handicap to scientific progress. Continue reading →