First the worst, second the best, third the one with a hairy chest! Gemma used to chant that in the playground, but now she wonders if it also applies to PhDs. I am not happy with my PhD. Should I do a second? Dear Gemma, That sounds like a great idea! Everyone who’s finished a PhD knows they could do it again in half the time, unless you had a supervisor with supernatural managerial abiliti ...[Read More]
This year, once again, the EGU General Assembly (GA) will be completely online. The 2021 GA will include all components of an in-presence EGU GA, such as sharing scientific content, connecting with your peers, making new contacts, attending short courses, etc. With the virtual GA looming in one week, it’s time for all attendees to finish (or start..) their scientific contributions and figure out h ...[Read More]
In the landscape of very competitive scientific funding, and with STEM research teams sometimes having more people with the name ‘Ben’ than women, Pierre asks what no one dares to even think: Can I increase the chances for my proposal getting funded if I co-write it with a woman? Dear Pierre, The funding game is one of low-odds and it seems you are looking for a loophole. No judgement ...[Read More]
Today we know the Earth as a tectonically busy planet, shaped by mantle convection and plate tectonics. But this is nothing compared to the earlier phases of planetary evolution. This week, Fabio Capitanio (ARC Future Fellow and Associate Professor at the School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment at Monash University, Australia) takes us on a modelling tour back to a time when the Earth’s tecton ...[Read More]
My dog, Roxanne (Roxy for short), has been by my side for my entire graduate career. I adopted Roxy before starting a two-year Master’s program at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She moved with me to the University of Maryland for my PhD program. Now in the second year of my PhD, I cannot imagine PhD life without her. Roxy has helped me navigate the most challenging aspects of academi ...[Read More]
Clodagh has attended a conference or two. After missing out on last year’s EGU virtual general assembly, she seeks some advice to promote her science, and herself, out there: Can you prepare better for a virtual meeting compared to the ‘old way’ for physical presentations? Dear Clodagh, Top of the morning to ye. On such soft day no less! Well, in my humble opinion, there’s two ways of looking at t ...[Read More]
This weeks post is all about the importance of boundaries. Plate boundaries that is. Jean-Christophe Wrobel-Daveau and Graeme Nicoll tell us why we should care where plate boundaries are and how they evolve through time, when attempting to reconstruct past plate motions. Global plate tectonic models are an incredible way to synthesise geological knowledge to gain both direct and indirect insight i ...[Read More]
“Everyone else is going. It’s so unfair. They just don’t understand. Everyone else’s supervisor said yes.” Denis has been sent to his scientific bedroom and he isn’t impressed. He contacted the Sassy Scientist via Tiktok to ask: My supervisor has banned me from going to conferences. What shall I do? Dear Denis, You supervisor is a mean, heartless seg-fault who w ...[Read More]
A complete fluid dynamical approach of modeling the Earth’s deformation can not provide a complete picture due to presence of rigid lithospheric plates. In this week’s news and views, Srishti Singh, scientist at National Geophysical Research Institute, India, explains how coupled models of lithosphere dynamics and mantle convection are developed. The ongoing collision of the Indian plate wi ...[Read More]
Despite finishing his experiments and writing up his thesis during a pandemic, Markus wants to keep climbing the academic pyramid. Reflecting on some of his choices during his PhD, he now asks: I didn’t spend anytime building my network during my PhD. Can I get a postdoc? Dear Markus, Of course! Academia represents the pursuit of scientific knowledge and the expansion of our collective under ...[Read More]