Writing a paper can be challenging. While it can be satisfactory to see your science coming together in a consistent story, writing a nice paper requires you to prepare appealing figures, a bullett-proof text and, potentially, dealing with co-autors. Mirja asks: How do I finish a paper? Dear Mirja, Interesting question: over (more than a) few beers I heard colleagues and peers wondering how to sta ...[Read More]
Postdoc appointments: the forgotten terrace of Purgatory. Where researchers are sentenced to linger till either a position opens in the Heaven of permanent contracts, or they realise that, after all, they are not interested anymore. This terrace is composed of different levels of various length. Nobody knows how many levels there are and how long they are, or should be. Raul asks: What is the idea ...[Read More]
Sylvester is continuously ogling new readers for his scientific communications. Pawing at several social media, he purrs: Do you need Twitter to spread your science? Dear Sylvester, Yes. Next question, please. I mean, it’s quite popular. Isn’t it? If you throw in a couple of tags to institutions, active members of the scientific social media community or even just some journals there&# ...[Read More]
Picture yourself in the office. You are finally cracking on that paper you have been meaning to read for a long time. Here comes that one paragraph upon which the understanding of the whole paper hinges. You are almost grasping it, when the smell of soup hits your nostrils, warning you that it is lunch time for your office mate. You know, the one that slurps when they eat. And obviously they think ...[Read More]
