Why do professors leave one institution and go to another? The reasons why say a lot about academia. This is kind of a taboo topic in science, but very important. Once upon a time…. Two decades ago when I was a technician in the Pathology Department at UCSD School of Medicine and then still when […]
Why professors leave: elephant in the lab series Read More »
What scares scientists? What fears keep them up at night worrying? What makes them scream (if only in their heads)? As part of my elephant in the lab series tackling difficult but important topics for scientists, today I am talking fear! Earlier posts in this series included taboo topics about iPS cells, the dirty dozen
Fears of academic scientists: elephant in the lab series Read More »
Yesterday I put out a post as a guide for scientists to insult each other. More insults have been forthcoming from the blog readerships including some even nastier ones. Most are just downright mean, but some are sexist or racist. Sadly these comments are real. They skewer you and roast you over the coals, often
Insults 2.0: more ways scientists skewer each other Read More »
Here is the scientist’s guide to insulting other scientists. Strap in.Scientists have special ways of using words to insult each other and believe me it can be vicious even if almost uninterpretable to those not fluent in that language. These insults are sometimes brutal or fatal career-wise, but also sometimes ironic and telling of our
The scientist’s guide to insulting other scientists Read More »
Wait, what’s that taboo elephant doing in the IPS cell lab? You don’t see it? I’m starting a new series called “The Elephant in the Lab” where I discuss controversial laboratory topics that people are usually too afraid to publicly discuss. We are starting with iPS cells. (for a description and definition of iPS cells
Taboo topics about iPS cells: the elephant in the lab series Read More »
I started my series on the sins of scientists last week with a piece called “Failure to Cite”. “Failure to cite” refers to the practice whereby some scientists choose not to cite the papers of their competitors, to make their own seem more novel, or as payback to folks they consider their “enemies”. In today’s
Seven sins of scientists part 2: paper or grant killing Read More »
How many hours a week should science trainees (postdocs and graduate students) work per week? I raised this question in a poll recently (you can still vote here) and a big turnout. The results are above. The results are interesting. Nobody thought trainees should work less than 40 hours a week. Only 11% felt that
Surprising results of our hours per week poll for science trainees Read More »
Can science be a 9-5 job? Some colleagues of mine (not all faculty) around the country have been having a heated email debate on which I have been an eavesdropper of sorts. The topic? How many hours should trainees in science (grad students and postdocs) work in the lab per week? Or as they put
Can science be a 9-5, Mon-Fri job for trainees? Read More »
My family is excited about the Grammys. Some members like the Oscars. We are not so into the Tonys, but millions of Americans are into them. We need an awards ceremony, maybe even a show for scientists. Scientists will never be the stars that artistic performers are, but it is sad and arguably a sign
We need an annual American awards ceremony for scientists Read More »
How sure are you that your last paper was right? Could you be wrong about something big even though you are sure you are right? The reality is that there’s a bigger chance than you think that you are totally wrong about many things, especially those you are most sure that you are right about.
Humbling lessons from the Umbrella Man about science Read More »