Meeting a new cohort of graduate students on your first day of class can be intimidating. These are the brightest students from their undergraduate programs. Some of them have years of research experience, first-author publications, and a depth of knowledge that seems encyclopedic. Feeling intimidated by your new colleagues is normal, but some of the people […]
069: Five Ways Scientists SHOULD Be Using Twitter
Traditionally, spending time on social media was a great way to make your PI angry. Your job is to finish experiments, read papers, and present your work at conferences, not to upvote and share the latest blue-dress illusion. But there are some unexpected benefits to the Twitter network that could help your science and your career.
068: Use Targeted Savings Accounts for Irregular Expenses
If the idea of saving money while in graduate school sounds laughable to you, you’re not alone. Many grad students live month to month on a stipend that places them near the poverty line. After rent, food, and clothing, there’s nothing left to save. But food, clothing and shelter don’t cover all the expenses you’ll face […]
067: Science Magazine Takes a Teeny, Tiny Step Toward Open Access
If you read the following headline this week, you might have experienced a small thrill: AAAS Forms Partnership to Expand Access to High-Quality Scientific Publishing AAAS, or the American Association for the Advancement of Science, is the organization that publishes the flagship journal Science Magazine and related titles. You might believe from that headline that you could […]
066: Should Scientists March on Washington?
Though techniques and terminology vary from one scientific discipline to another, all scientists are bound together by a set of core principles. We call this the “scientific method,” and the approach is sacrosanct. Observe the world around you, state a hypothesis to explain what you’ve seen, devise an experiment to prove yourself wrong, and report your […]