Conduct of Science:
A recent post of Zuska's discusses the pejorative use of "anecdote" to dismiss personal accounts of gender bias. The generic argument will be well familiar to many scientists who are used to sneering at sources of insight that are limited...
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Posted on May 13, 2008 11:45 AM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I have some brilliant and enthusiastic friends in the science blogosphere who are putting substantial effort into building on-line venues where working scientists will create scholarly communities to engage in vibrant scientific discussion and commentary, as well as disseminate novel...
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Posted on May 10, 2008 9:50 AM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
It is no secret (although a much ignored fact) that journals will have a certain "type" of article that they are looking for that has little to do with objective scientific quality. Certain topics are "hot" while others that are...
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Posted on April 28, 2008 8:48 PM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
A comment on a recent post of mine asked if I thought technicians should be paid more than postdocs. The direct answer is "no", the more-involved issue revolves around my belief that "internships" and "training periods" are used in essence...
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Posted on April 28, 2008 2:33 PM • 54 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Zuska already mentioned the report from Sherry Towers on gender bias at the Fermilab in Illinois. This week, however, a news focus in Nature by Geoff Brumfiel takes up the story....
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Posted on April 25, 2008 6:23 PM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
As purely entertaining as it is to watch PhysioProf troll the Open Access Nozdrul, these discussions always raise at least six interesting avenues for further thought. For example a comment from bill touches on the notion that private "ownership" of...
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Posted on April 24, 2008 7:46 PM • 29 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Bora linked to a recent article at the Scientific American Web site concerning "Web 2.0" and its relationship to the conduct of science. The basic concept is that "THE WEB TOTALLY CHANGES EVERYTHING!11!!!!!1!ELEVENTY!11!!!!!1!" and scientists are and/or should be going...
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Posted on April 23, 2008 10:20 AM • 47 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The titular observation was the beginning of a good twenty minute rant from YHN during a lab meeting a few years ago after one of the technicians said something along the lines of "well, but I'm just a tech". I...
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Posted on April 22, 2008 1:29 PM • 26 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Karen Ventii of the Science to Life blog recently announced that she will be the editor-in-chief of a newly hatched science magazine at her local University. A comment brought my attention to the Berkeley Science Review which first published...
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Posted on April 18, 2008 1:35 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The great sociological philosopher Eric Cartman provided a bit of gentle guidance on acceding to the wisdom of authority in one of his more famous works. A somewhat lesser philosophical talent offers similar advice in a comment posted to a...
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Posted on April 15, 2008 2:14 PM • 32 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
