Dear Tutors Hi, its me again, the Student from up the back on the left, I am writing to you this time because I want to talk to you about the feedback I get on my assignments. Before I start though, I would like to say how happy I was to receive your positive response […] … learn more→

Uncovering and modeling gene regulatory networks is one of the longstanding challenges in computational biology. While many different methods exist for analyzing and reconstructing gene regulatory networks, it is often difficult to decipher when these techniques will operate successfully, and which method is optimal for exploring different datasets. Each year, the Dialogue on Reverse Engineering […] … learn more→

Robert Manne’s important essay in The Monthly (August 2012) laments that in the climate change debate “the denialist campaign has won”, a sharp turn for the worse since 2009. Clearly, Manne’s primary purpose is not to haul up the white flag, but to inform and to shock. If “denialism” and its cousins (climate “scepticism” and […] … learn more→

Aside from ‘why are Britain suddenly brilliant at sport?’, sportsmanship and fair play have been a major topic of discussion at the London 2012 Olympic Games. In the last few days, an Algerian runner stopped during an 800m race to save his energy for his preferred 1500m, while a British cyclist allegedly deliberately crashed after […] … learn more→

Someone once said “the un-examined thesis is not worth writing”. Actually, that might have been Socrates talking about life, but my point remains the same. Examination is the gateway to the hallowed status of ‘Dr’ and the source of considerable anxiety. The idea of someone reading and ‘marking’ your thesis can seem so… abstract when […] … learn more→

With New Year’s resolution-like zeal, you are ready to reinvent yourself. You will be confidant, not cocky, and cease the practice of reciting your curriculum vitae at cocktail parties. You will keep quiet when a colleague dares to say, “the media is” rather than “the media are.” You will replace “You are a moron” with […] … learn more→

Over the last two months, the price of corn has been climbing. On July 19th, it exceeded $8 per bushel for the first time, taking the world into a new food price terrain. With heat and drought still smothering the Corn Belt, we may well see more all-time highs in coming weeks as the extent […] … learn more→

There have been at least three textbook-related announcements this week – and hey, it’s only Wednesday. The news: Amazon now offers textbook rentals. Digital textbook app-maker Kno enters the K–12 market, offering digital Houghton-Mifflin-Harcourt textbooks for parents (note: not schools) to rent. And the free digital textbook startup Boundless opens its doors to the public. […] … learn more→

Reports of people the world over watching coverage of the Olympics via BBC’s online streaming portal abound. The reasons for this behaviour vary in the detail, but the common feature is: local coverage of the Olympics stinks. In the United States, NBC’s decision to delay coverage has resulted in significant backlash and ridicule. The hashtag […] … learn more→

Last month, we looked at when it might make sense to enter a global market with your green product or service. This month, we\’ll take a look at market positioning that might make it worth the hassle and expense of entering new countries. Your Unique Selling Proposition, or USP, is marketing-speak for the factor that […] … learn more→