More than ever, I feel that the story of my generation of scientists is one of a migration out of academia and into different avenues where those scientific skills can be put to fresh use. It’s an adventure, a leap, a journey, and one that Jess tells better than most. This posting not only contains some great reflections on the jobseeking process for academics striking out into the private sector, but also has some super nuggets of practical advice.
The world of science
The lifetime of a field
It’s not just scientists that get old. Scientific fields have their own lifetimes, just like people.
Continue readingScience and narcissism (an interview with Bruno Lemaitre)
TIR talks to immunologist Bruno Lemaitre, a key figure in Toll research, about science, academics, narcissism and narcissists. He is an observer and commentator on the dark side of success in scientific research.
Continue readingGoodbye to all that
If I’d known quitting felt this good, I would have sent in my resignation letter a lot earlier.
Continue readingStockholm syndrome
Front and centre
Why you might be able to make the biggest difference by doing something different.
Continue readingNever to play The Dane
Seeing the faces of the current crop of ERC Starting Grant awardees (congratulations everybody!) made me realise that I’m not an early career researcher any more. Continue reading
Our indomitable avatars
One of the most common tropes in art is about people following their dreams, or being encouraged to do so. There’ll be a scene with a chance encounter and a conversation that eventually arrives at the question: what did you want to be? Why did you stop trying? And then: Why not try now? Continue reading
Great scientists, great moustaches V (a Movember posting)
The Movember Foundation is a charity dedicating to raising awareness of men’s health issues such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health. As part of the annual Movember event we’ve been running a series celebrating the magnificent moustaches of the men in white coats – a salute to some great minds, and the moustaches that went (just before them). Links to parts I-IV of this series can be found at the end of the posting. Continue reading
On the shoulders of ants
A salute to the also-rans. Continue reading
Total Internal Reflection 