Conferences are a vital part of academic life but with many conferences moving online due to the pandemic, the virtual conference hall can be a minefield! After a year of conferencing from afar, Kiran Chotalia shares the tips and tricks to make the conference experience live from your living room a breeze! It would be an understatement to say it has been quite the year. Travel restrictions put a f ...[Read More]
Sitting here and enjoying the view on the third rock from the Sun, Nana wants to get into the details. The whole may be more than the sum of the parts, but those parts can be pretty interesting too: What’s the most important rock? Dear Nana, I so value your decision to contact me; I decided to take your question very seriously and do some actual research. Method: how many abstracts were subm ...[Read More]
Maddie is in the final stretch of her PhD track. Whilst finalizing the last couple of figures and jotting down the last couple of paragraphs for her thesis, she checks the institutional web pages for job opportunities ferociously. Coming up blank, she mutters: How important is a social network for obtaining a future job in academia? Dear Maddie, It is absolutely paramount. You don’t seriously thin ...[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]
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]
“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]
Theeerre ish noffink quite so dangerereroush as ashkink a seeeriouss question of scieeence at 18h30 on a Friday. Rudi inshtead ashks the not-at-all, definitely-not, who-me, ashking-for-a-friend queshtion: Can I get drunk at Friday Beers? Dear Rudi, Your question has more answers than asking a conference of geodynamicists what’s the best wine? With movement and beer restrictions in place, the ...[Read More]
With his dazzling wit, charm and handsome moustache, Groucho has an engagements calendar that would make the most sparkly socialite jealous. He therefore asks: Should you ever turn down an invited presentation? Dear Groucho, If being dead since 1977 isn’t enough to get you out of an awkward invited spot, I recommend you follow your own advice: I refuse to join any club that would have me as ...[Read More]
After many (attempted) visits to Venus in an earlier era of space exploration, the focus of terrestrial planet science was shifted towards e.g. our other neighbour Mars. Yet, lately, Venus seems to gain scientific popularity and not without reason – there remains so much to figure out about the puzzling planet. The virtual mini-workshop ‘Venus Science Today’ was held a few weeks ago to bring toget ...[Read More]
Too envious to watch Netflix’s Selling Sunset? Gone through the top 5 geodynamic movies? Lock-down vacation too boring for words? In need of useful procrastination? Search no longer! We have compiled an extensive list of online webinars and speaker series that were already active pre-Corona or saw the daylight during the pandemic to stay in touch with our colleagues both abroad and next door ...[Read More]