Of Schemes and Memes Blog

The Best of Nature Network: 4-10 September 2010

Blogs

Top billing must go to Jennifer Rohn this week for starting a movement, nay a rebellion, to counter the proposed cuts to UK science funding. The Science is Vital campaign is concerned about the damage the cuts will inflict on the UK’s research output at a time when other nations are investing money in science, engineering and technology. Her cris de coeur:

Sod it. Let’s march on London! No more Doctor Nice Guy, no more hiding behind our work, no more just taking things lying down like we take everything else in our profession — poor job prospects, poor funding, low pay, poor life-work balance. If they are going to bleed us dry, we might as well try to do something before it’s too late. I reckon there are thousands of practicing scientists and their allies in the vicinity — let’s make some noise. Who’s in?

If you’re in, you can sign up to the Science Is Vital Facebook page, and follow the cause on Twitter (and hashtag #ScienceIsVital). Even better, you can help spread the word among your colleagues and friends. For more background on the threat, Austin Elliott does an excellent job of summarising recent comments on the theme by MP Vince Cable, and the reaction he received.

Lee Turnpenny is already feeling the pinch. In this week’s ‘must-read’ post, he relates in candid terms how difficulties gaining funding are pushing him out of academia and research.

Stephen Curry continues the campaigning theme by reporting on a novel protest by the Voice of Young Science. Their beef is with a proposed government scheme to professionally register practitioners of alternative medicine, thereby granting them what might be seen as an undeserved stamp of approval. Stephen reports on the protest, which mocked the proposals by granting diplomas to anyone who could relate an ‘old wives’ tale’.

Finally, Tom Webb shares the quandary of a marine biologist faced with a plate of tasty fish, Stephen Moss heads off to address the European Calcium Society (other elements are available) and Frank Norman alerts us to a possible gossip magazine for scientists fronted by James Watson.

Science Online London 2010

The third annual conference on the future of research and science communication online took place last weekend at the British Library, London. Around 250 delegates attended, to discuss everything from science blogging to data visualisation. A comprehensive index of blog posts, photos, video, and other media relating to the conference is available on this blog.

Soapbox Science

Today, we launched a new Network blog called Soapbox Science. This is a platform for any scientist to give their thoughts and opinions in one-off posts. We hope the blog will not only raise some interesting discussion points, but also provide a taster for scientists who have considered blogging but not yet given it a go. If you have any ideas for guest bloggers, please contact Matt Brown.

And Finally…

Inspired by a trip to the Diamond Light Source synchrotron, a fringe event of the Science Online London conference, Viktor Poór offers this cartoon about the plight of the circulating electron.

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