Human knowledge of viruses and human bodies has reached the molecular and even atomic scale, yet the past few months has revealed how vulnerable we remain to pandemics. This, in turn, illustrates that for all of humanity’s progress in understanding nature and humanity itself over the past centuries, some of the scientific problems and global […] … learn more→

The whole world is in lockdown. And so is mine. But I’m not confined to four walls. I’m stuck at sea. Since late February, I’ve been aboard the Avontuur, a schooner that transports cargo under sail. I joined the vessel to research the revival of such sailing cargo vessels in an attempt to decarbonise the […] … learn more→

I recently heard about a rejection letter from a Chinese economics journal that was a bit too generous with the sugar vis-à-vis the pill. “If we were to publish your paper, it would be impossible for us to publish any work of lower standard,” the editor wrote, several decades ago. “And as it is unthinkable […] … learn more→

The recent resignation of Mauro Ferrari as president of the European Research Council has thrown into sharp relief the distinction between “basic” and “applied” research, as understood today. In the UK, this is particularly topical given that it coincides with the start of parliamentary scrutiny over the role that the government’s proposed “high risk, high […] … learn more→

I was on Day 42 of living the #isolife when I commented that I was starting to note the difference in Zoom experiences: Day 42: Understanding better the pacing between types of vid-conf experiences – facilitating vs participating vs webinar-ing vs dropping in. Quite differently textured instances. Hmmm… Sally Purcell (@ResourcefulHDR on Twitter) asked for […] … learn more→

From conducting crucial research regarding the COVID-19 pandemic to transforming student dorms into housing for the sick and quarters for medical personnel, colleges and universities are pitching in to help everyone cope with the new normal. We research how schools contribute to society in ways that go beyond teaching students. These efforts to serve the common good at the local, state, national and global […] … learn more→

Over the past year, the climate crisis has inspired considerable public protest including civil disruption by Extinction Rebellion and the rejection of university courses by some students in order to dedicate themselves to climate action. These students challenged the lack of urgency to address the climate crises in their courses and questioned universities’ ability to […] … learn more→

We found ourselves in Peru in the middle of an international field course when the world began to shut down in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Our experience showed not only the inconsistency in how universities and countries treat students, but also revealed that existing policy at most universities cannot currently support researchers abroad in […] … learn more→

When I write, I write for myself. I put myself on the pages. I put myself in the edits. I write so that I can understand, explain and express. I don’t know if my words will be heard, I don’t know if my words will resonate. I don’t really think about that when I write. […] … learn more→

When the government call went out to academics to join the Covid Expert Database – a resource for parliamentarians – it was retweeted by some colleagues under the headline “NB they want Arts and Humanities academics too”. That this fact had to be foregrounded is a depressing reminder of how entrenched debates about the relevance […] … learn more→