Mailbag:
One of the key requirements that researchers conducting studies with human subjects must meet is that they obtain the informed consent of the participating subjects (or of a parent or guardian, if the subject is not able to give informed...
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Posted on April 9, 2008 1:04 AM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I recently received an email, prompted by my series about having a family and an academic career, asking for some input: I am a mere first year in a Ph.D. program and am a bit older than the other students....
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Posted on February 29, 2008 8:30 PM • 15 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Are there any good options to respond to the wrongdoing of those with way more power than you?
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Posted on February 18, 2008 3:01 PM • 24 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
A regular reader of the blog emailed me the following: Have you ever considered setting up a section for laymen in your blog where posts related to the philosophy of science, how research is conducted, how scientists think etc. are...
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Posted on August 22, 2007 10:36 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
To address an issue that came up in discussion of posts on other blogs, I want to make clear the principles I follow when dealing with real-world scenarios here or via email:...
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Posted on June 14, 2007 5:41 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Do final exams measure anything useful, or just torture students?
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Posted on June 14, 2007 1:30 PM • 14 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
How have I been able to blog under my real name?
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Posted on March 5, 2007 7:51 PM • 10 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Brains enjoy getting information about the world around them. Although our sense organs do a pretty good job of keeping the data flowing to the brain, the occasional sense-organ-extending measuring device can add a whole new set of experiences for...
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Posted on December 19, 2006 6:35 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The human mind seems to like creating things, and kids will use whatever tools are at their disposal to build. My uncle used to build death-defying systems of roadways with Hotwheels track and masking tape. A childhood friend of mine...
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Posted on December 12, 2006 7:00 PM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
There are two features of games that have always appealed to me. First, the good ones put you in a place where you are explicitly thinking out different ways the future could play out -- the possibilities that are more...
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Posted on December 4, 2006 3:49 PM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
As promised, I bring you some gift recommendations for kids who are into math or science (or could be if presented with the right point of entry). The first installation: books. Books are the best. They don't need batteries or...
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Posted on November 22, 2006 9:29 AM • 13 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
In a comment on the last post, zwa asks: I'm curious about your vegetarianism (as one myself) and whether your kids are. If yes, did they choose it, if no did you try to convince them? My kids are vegetarians,...
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Posted on September 22, 2006 8:26 PM • 18 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I'm revisiting a topic I posted about half a year ago: once you have a Ph.D., what are your job options beyond a faculty job or a research position? The last post was more about what one could do with...
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Posted on September 18, 2006 6:34 PM • 21 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
From time to time I get emails asking for advice dealing with situations that just don't feel right. Recently, I've been asked about the following sort of situation: You're an undergraduate who has landed an internship in a lab that...
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Posted on August 13, 2006 12:51 AM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Loyal ScienceBlogs reader Dr. Kim D. Gainer is moving to a newly-renovated office (Yay!) that is smaller than her current office -- which means that some of the goodies on her bookshelves are in need of new homes. That's where...
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Posted on July 12, 2006 5:03 PM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Occasionally I get email asking for advice in matters around responsible conduct of research. Some readers have related horror stories of research supervisors who grabbed their ideas, protocols, and plans for future experiments, either to give them to another student...
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Posted on June 12, 2006 5:49 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Janet D. Stemwedel (whose nom de blog is Dr. Free-Ride) is an assistant professor of philosophy at San Jose State University. Before becoming a philosopher, she earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry. Email her at dr.freeride@gmail.com.
