A few years ago, I decided to name one of my laboratory rooms. This particular lab is a nice little room, conveniently located. In it, various members of my research group do mundane but essential research activities.I decided to give this little room...
He's Not Here
In this month's Catalyst piece in The Chronicle of Higher Education, to appear next week(ish), I discuss dual-career couples. As I was working on this essay, I decided to make headings of particular topics, and then I decided at some point to alphabetize...
Overexposed?
Today in Scientopia, I discuss a reader's question as to whether it is better to take a 1-year, non-tenure track, teaching position that will/might become tenure-track (and thereby possibly getting the 'inside' track on the TT job), or whether it's better...
There Is No We
This recently appeared in my e-mail inbox:I have a conspiracy theory that you are not a single entity, but rather some kind of collection of female academics (perhaps some sociologists as well) sponsored by NSF (or something alike) to create this blog...
Back Talk
When I walk around campus during prime Campus Tour Season and encounter perky undergrad tour guides wearing OurU regalia and walking backwards in front of dazed pods of prospective students and parental types, I catch snippets of the tours, and I typically...
Doing Stuff
Someone -- a scientist -- recently told me to be careful about how and when I use the word "research" because this word has negative connotations for some people, particularly politicians and others who might make negative decisions about funding for...
n proposals
In yesterday's post, there were some comments about how many proposals an individual faculty writes or "should" write in a year. Of course, there is no one answer to how many proposals one "should" write, even within a particular field.We should each...
Prey to Biases
It's not as if I thought the current Supreme Court would actually produce a majority decision that recognized the overwhelming statistical evidence for systematic, nationwide discrimination against the female employees of Wal-Mart in salary and promotion....
Drinking Culture
Today in Scientopia, I discuss a concern by someone who doesn't drink (beer, wine etc.) and who worries that this will affect her academic career in a negative w...
Vote for my blog to be the Best Science Black Weblog Award, please
Urban Science Adventures! © was nominated for Best Science or Tech Blog again this year. As the sole science blog among the finalist this year, I would love for the blog to win the honor - and justify having separate Science and Tech Categories in the...
I See Them Everywhere
Senior Male Physical Scientist: "Why do you women keep saying there aren't enough women in Science? There are lots of female students in my department! I see lots of young women at meetings! There are lots of women!"That's great that you see lots of...
Magical Teaching
As an advisor, I spend a lot of time explaining to students how to do research. I am continually reminded about what is reasonable vs. unreasonable to expect someone to know. Every year, there are new students, so the slate is wiped clean, and certain...
InCited
Yesterday I wrote about a citation-related topic, and you know how hard it is for me to stop talking about citations once I get started [FSP 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011].I will write about citations again today because I was reminded of an incident...
Cite-Me
Today in Scientopia, I discuss a question about how/whether to mention in a manuscript review that the authors should cite one (or more) of your pape...
Will There Be Anything Else?
One of my colleagues has a teaching philosophy that contains the following principle:If you do a lot for your students in terms of providing 'extra' materials (study guides, lecture notes etc.), they will ask for more and more and more and be unhappy....
Urban Wildlife Watch: 13 Year Cicadas
Cicadas, sometimes called locusts or katydids, seem to be everywhere right now. Here in my part of the country - St. Louis, Missouri and as far away as Nashville, Tennessee - the flying insects seem to be everywhere. And the numbers of them seem to be...
By the way
Although this exact scenario no longer applies to the reader who sent me the question, I was nevertheless intrigued by the situation because it seems like a near-perfect storm of complex personal situations that can arise during the negotiation stage...
Perpendicular Thinking
As I contemplate this past academic year of teaching, I feel pretty good about my classes (and students!), although, as usual, I have some ideas for things I want to change next time. In the end, through all the ups and downs, it was a good year.And...
Who Talks?
Today in Scientopia, I address a reader's question about why an advisor would give a talk on the student's research instead of sending the student to a conference to give the presentati...
Talk Dilemma
Recently I was pondering my options for a presentation to give at a workshop in the coming year, and I came up with two possibilities. I have to choose one:1. A synthesis of a long-running project, with some new (not presented before) results, and also...
Professional Pics
Hi FSP, What do you think about putting a pic on the webpage that is out of the ordinary (passport style). For example, would it be "professional" to put a pic on a webpage that would depict a person playing with a bat or holding a parrot or something?No...
Wide Field Imager view of a Milky Way look-alike, NGC 6744
Wide Field Imager view of a Milky Way look-alike, NGC 6744 (6/1/11)This picture of the nearby galaxy NGC 6744 was taken with the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at La Silla. The large spiral galaxy is similar to the Milky Way, making...
A Perfect Spiral with an Explosive Secret
A Perfect Spiral with an Explosive Secret (5/30/11)This spiral galaxy was discovered back in the nineteenth century by French astronomer Édouard Jean-Marie Stephan, but in 2008 it became a prime target for observations thanks to the violent demise of...
Due or Overdue?
The blogosphere has done a rather thorough job of thrashing the recent *scathing* report by Senator Coburn (R-Oklahoma) on supposed mismanagement and waste by the NSF. I will therefore quell the urge to point out how poorly researched, written, and organized...
Sundays with Your Advisor
In an e-mail about a (mostly) unrelated topic, a graduate student reader of this blog mentioned that she had requested regular meetings with her advisor. This request was part of an ongoing, long-standing effort to improve a rather grim situation for...
Intersecting Spheres
Today in Scientopia, I discuss a question from readers who wonder what to do in situations in which advisor and student frequently encounter each other in their non-academic lives. These off-campus interactions can complicate advisor-advisee dynamics...
Great American Backyard Campout Blends Outdoors, Family Fun and Science
Memorial Day is the kickoff to the summer and where is the best place to spend the summer? Outside, of course, and family camping is one of the most popular summer time actitivites. On Saturday, June 25, 2011, the National Wildlife Federation is asking...
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