Have you ever wondered why when we see someone yawn, we yawn almost immediately? Or how newborns imitate facial gestures like sticking out their tongues? And what about how we learn to use scissors or color? It has a lot to do with some peculiar neurons called mirror neurons. What are mirror neurons? Mirror neurons are amazing […] … learn more→

The under-representation of women in research is well documented. Emerging evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this inequality and disrupted the research enterprise globally. But none of these studies, mainly from the global north, provide detailed explanations for the scale of this decline. Our research offers the first comprehensive study to shed light on the complex reasons for the […] … learn more→

In my early years in the union, I heard some wise words: ‘You may not be union when you enter higher education but if you believe in the transformative power of higher education you will join the union’. That refrain says a lot about university workers, whether you are a researcher, lecturer or professional staff. […] … learn more→

Inspired by Tseen Khoo’s blogs about ‘Shut Up and Write’ in Feb and March 2016 (Part 1 / Part 2), I decided to start a version at the Elliott School at George Washington University (United States). My experiences and many missteps provide some insights into: My naivety, and Research Culture at an American University. My first step […] … learn more→

  “All men naturally have the desire to know.” Aristotle’s Metaphysics , first book, chapter I. We live in the information age. But this abundance of information is a double-edged sword: it is accompanied by high levels of misinformation and overinformation. Discerning between good and bad is becoming more and more complicated . Sometimes it is an activity similar to finding […] … learn more→

When I saw a colleague’s Tweet about a book called The 4-hour Work Week: Escape 9–5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (by Tim Ferriss), I was puzzled. After all, the book title seems to advocate for values that idealist academics generally wouldn’t endorse: work little, make lots of money. I also felt some sense of […] … learn more→

Health warning. This post contains no advice. Here in the UK we are now over the results of the Research Excellence Framework, REF, the UK audit measure of institutional “quality” and “productivity”. We can all breathe a sigh of relief and go back to life as we want it – right? No chance. Just a […] … learn more→

The recruitment of teacher-researchers has been qualified as a competition by the Council of State (CE, February 25, 2015, University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, Req n°374002). Consequently, the principle of equality of candidates in a competition, itself deriving from the constitutional principle of equal access to public employment, implies that candidates must be treated in the same way throughout […] … learn more→

The call for students to desert from AgroParisTech or the recent forum for students from the Écoles Normales Supérieures demonstrate this forcefully: the new generations are less and less satisfied with current scientific courses. They do not necessarily find them up to the challenge. Young people need to understand why learning science can help them to truly face the crises […] … learn more→

Many researchers find themselves inventing names because it’s standard ethical procedure to anonymise the people we’ve talked with and the places we’ve been. And naming is of course a simple and straightforward process. Well, maybe. Well, not all the time. Perhaps hardly ever. Names can be very troublesome and researchers can spend surprising amounts of […] … learn more→