Early in the pandemic I was looking for something to do outdoors that was fun and new, finally settling on birding. Why? I have been interested in nature and photography since I was a kid but only occasionally had the chance to actually combine the two. Inspired in part by my colleague Jonathan Eisen here […]
My favorite 2022 birding pics & surprises Read More »
How to email a professor without making a mistake that causes problems or makes a bad impression? What do we professors expect of such emails? I sometimes forget that what seems simple to me now, like how to even start an email to a professor, can feel very different to students and other trainees. Even
How to email a professor effectively Read More »
My lab and I are fortunate that in our Sacramento-Davis area there are relatively few COVID-19 cases, but what kind of COVID-19 risk mitigation plan should one use for a careful lab ramp-up plan? COVID-19 shouldn’t be the “elephant in the lab”, but should be discussed openly. Communication is probably one key to optimal ramp-up.
Research lab ramp-up plan & real-world tips to lower COVID-19 risk Read More »
Today I’m posting about pet peeves in the science lab. This is an update to and expansion of a post from many years ago. Who doesn’t have some lab pet peeves? And, yeah, we are all probably guilty at one time or another of driving other people a bit nuts with our own idiosyncrasies that
13 lab pet peeves of scientists Read More »
What should postdoc pay be these days? Labor law changes will mandate a pay increase to around $47,000 to start for the nation’s postdoctoral fellows because of overtime rules that in most cases will lead to a bump in postdoc pay. It’s about time, right? However, despite good intentions, some concerns have been raised about this
Poll: what’s your view of mandatory increase to postdoc pay Read More »
My youngest kiddo and I went to Picnic Day today, which was as always a lot of fun. Not so fun was that the college student right behind us on the bus on the way there started vomiting like crazy (think splash risk) probably from too much drinking the night before, but we didn’t let
Fun Photos from UC Davis Picnic Day 2016 Read More »
When my kids were younger, sometimes they’d ask why I am a scientist. How did you make that decision? Do you still like being a scientist? My answer would generally be along the lines of, “because I like figuring out how things work and maybe my research can help people”. What do you like about
What do you like & dislike most about being a scientist? Read More »
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In December I attended and spoke at the World Stem Cell Summit in Atlanta. It was a great meeting, but also I had the chance to go visit the Martin Luther King (MLK) Monument and tour his birth home. It was a very inspirational experience. MLK has been a hero
Inspirational visit to MLK birth home Read More »
In this Elephant in the lab series we discuss the most taboo topics in science. Past Elephant in the lab examples include such pieces as the following: Dirty dozen easy steps to killing a paper Scientist’s guide to insulting other scientists Followed by insults 2.0 that was a post including even nastier science insults Top 10 reasons
Elephant in the lab series: common science excuses Read More »
Today I’m posting about pet peeves in the science lab. Who doesn’t have some of those? And, yeah, we are all probably guilty at one time or another of driving other people a bit nuts with our own idiosyncrasies that are their pet peeves. This post is another in my “Elephant in the Lab” series about difficult, but important
Ten lab pet peeves: elephant in the lab series Read More »