Collin Diedrich
Dealing with dyslexia: Let’s redefine the term “smart”
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Monthly Archives: October 2017
Remapping the scientific landscape: moving from a closed to open science world
Science is changing – and we will change with it, says Anastasia Greenberg
Better Science through Better Data writing competition winner Anastasia Greenberg
From Jisc: Many hands make light work
“Information is power. But like all power, there are those who want to keep it for themselves.” Those were the words of Aaron Swartz, a young programming prodigy and the creator of Reddit, in his Guerilla Open Access Manifesto. In 2011, Swartz wrote some code that systematically downloaded millions of academic papers from the JSTOR database onto his computer, which was hidden in a basement closet at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This act of hacktivism resulted in felony charges, with potential for decades of jail time. Swartz hanged himself in 2013.
To some, Swartz’s story embodies the open-science movement, but it is far from clear what his motives for downloading JSOR’s database were, and which, if any, segments of the open science movement Swartz identified with. Continue reading
TechBlog: The nanopore toolbox
{credit}Nik Spencer/Nature{/credit}
For this week’s Technology Feature, Michael Eisenstein wrote about the technology, applications, and challenges of nanopore DNA sequencing. In brief, the technology involves threading intact pieces of DNA through a tiny aperture in a membrane or other barrier, through which a current flows. As each base passes, it disrupts that current in a characteristic way, allowing specialized software to determine the sequence.
The technology has multiple benefits: it’s relatively inexpensive and compact, and produces exceptionally long reads. But the resulting error rate is also higher than some other technologies. What that means is, informatics tools designed to handle short-read data can often stumble when confronted with nanopore sequences. But a growing collection of dedicated long-read tools is rapidly filling in the gap. I asked a few nanopore veterans to help me compile a list.
Naturejobs podcast: Flexibility and forward planning
London Naturejobs Career Expo speakers, exhibitors and attendees share how flexibility in a scientific career is beneficial.
“Science is a multifaceted and large enterprise, and there are lots and lots of very interesting ways to contribute to science” said Venki Ramakrishnan, president of the Royal Society, lab leader at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and joint winner of the 2009 Chemistry Nobel, at the 11th annual Naturejobs London Career Expo on Oct 4th 2017.
Ramakrishnan encourages scientists to think about the wide variety of options available to them; that having a PhD in science doesn’t mean you need to follow the tenure track career path. Continue reading
The Naturejobs Career Expo – some secrets to scientific success
Naturejobs journalism competition winner Eileen Parkes
Over one thousand scientists attended the Naturejobs Career Expo last week in London. With professional CV checking, exhibitors from academic institutions and companies from around the world, and career-focused talks from Nobel Prize winner Professor Venki Ramakrishnan, science communication expert David Urry, popular blogger and senior lecturer Dr John Tregoning and many more, this was a resource-packed event for researchers.
Spending the day absorbing so much great careers advice left me feeling punch-drunk by the end. Some themes cropped up repeatedly — distilled wisdom on scientific success.
Some of the submissions to the Naturejobs Career Expo photoboth
The real climate debate
Young scientists on the ground at Lindau share their thoughts on scientists’ place in the climate change debate
In the scientific community, the big question is not whether action on climate change is required, but what form it should take — and the part that scientists should play, says the recent Nature Outlook on Climate Change. Three early-career researchers share their thoughts on the current state on climate action worldwide and the place of science in society.
You can find the full Nature Outlook on Climate change here.
Julie Fenton
Julia Nimke/Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings
Graduate student, Pennsylvania State University, USA
It’s hard for scientists to make definitive statements about the ‘truth’. Just as we don’t believe exactly the same things as we did 50 years ago, we expect our understanding of the things we’re learning now will change over time.
It doesn’t mean our current understanding should be dismissed as incomplete, but it can be a challenge to communicate this concept to non-scientists. It’s become evident that my communication skills are something I have to invest time in. It’s too easy to forget that we have a broader responsibility to the public. In my experience, public engagement is not a routine part of academic training. Every scientist can start by talking with people they know in their everyday lives. That’s not hard. Continue reading
Turning scientific scrutiny on science itself
A proactive approach could help researchers contribute to solving many of the problems they encounter in academia
Naturejobs journalism competition winner Jiska van der Reest
A non-traditional path to a PhD
Darrick Hansen explored the world in pursuit of adventure and an undergraduate degree. Now, he sees his PhD program as a chance to explore biomedical mysteries alongside an international community of scientists.
This post was sponsored by the Stowers Institute
Darrick Hansen has a low threshold for the mundane. On his way to earning his undergraduate degree, he took time off to work in far flung places in between his studies in the US, Singapore, and Scotland.
Derrick Hansen{credit}STOWERS INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH{/credit}
Communication: talk to peers and the general public
Effective communication will improve the value of scientific discoveries, says Eleni Wood
As scientists, our work is often driven by data collection and results. But a key step in the scientific process, and one that increases the value of our findings, is the effective communication of our investigative processes and results. Science communication is not only important within our fields for the advancement of our disciplines – communication to other audiences also influences the public perception and credibility of scientists and the work we do.
Finding mentorship
A quest for the perfect mentor might be doomed from the start – but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try
Naturejobs journalism competition winner Eileen Parkes
Having spent years trying to find the perfect mentor, I’ve learned there is more to mentorship than first appears.
Mentorship is given when someone with expertise and experience takes an aspiring scientist under their wing, to share their knowledge and advice, and to provide support and guidance in career development. It is distinct from coaching, or sponsorship, where the coach can give critical feedback or a sponsor may intervene directly in a protégé’s career. Importantly, mentorship is driven by the mentee, who should define their own needs for mentorship and career development.
