Monthly Archives: August 2017

Working with literatures? take a hands on hips stance

Working with literatures? take a hands on hips stance

Hand on hips. That’s the stance to take with literatures work. Hands on hips is a metaphor. Think about times when you have put your hands on your hips, stood back and looked at something. Your gaze is not neutral and neither is your thinking. You are summing up. What does this thing in front […] … learn more→

Bland peer review needs a pinch of salt

Bland peer review needs a pinch of salt

Research funding agencies face a daunting task when deciding which proposed research project to fund. It takes a great deal of expertise to distinguish between what investor Warren Buffett once called the “three I’s”: innovators, imitators and idiots. The anonymous peer review system that has emerged as the universal and unquestioned tool for assessing research […] … learn more→

How well do students perform when retaking courses?

How well do students perform when retaking courses?

Ah, September is almost here. A new school year beckons, with new courses, new books and new students. Except … some of the students are not new. They are retaking courses they had previously failed, or barely passed. They may be doing that to boost their marks, qualify for advanced courses, maintain scholarships or just […] … learn more→

NO₂ – not as bad as we thought?

NO₂ – not as bad as we thought?

Air pollution has been found to cause hundreds of thousands of deaths every year around the world. As a result, there has been growing public concern about the health impacts of roadside air pollution – especially in the wake of the 2016 Volkswagen scandal, when investigations found that almost a million tonnes of excess pollution […] … learn more→

Conference small talk – the definitive guide

Conference small talk – the definitive guide

Making small talk with someone who’s just given a talk, whether at a conference or at a colloquium or invited talk, can feel intimidating, especially if you’re a student or early in your academic career. But as someone who’s currently spending a lot of time on the opposite side of that divide, I’ve realized that […] … learn more→

Admin lies to keep conservative from campus

Admin lies to keep conservative from campus

I know my title is unsurprising on two levels, since administration lies about everything, always, and it’s well known that conservative thinkers aren’t allowed to speak on our campuses now…but the title says so much all the same. Even if conservatism is fundamentally wrong, fundamentally flawed, the worst thing that ever happened to humanity…conservatives should […] … learn more→