A lot of goodbyes
In academia, people come and go. You get to meet a lot of new people but for every new colleague, it’s another you will one day have to farewell.
11 tips for thesis writing that will save you time and stress
As someone who has written multiple dissertations myself and who now critiques the dissertations of others, I have seen enough to realise that there are common mistakes we are all…
An unexpected journey into academia
I didn’t grow up wanting to be an academic. In fact, I didn’t know what an academic was until I was well into my first university degree. It’s just a…
ChatGPT at the interface between scientific productivity and integrity
ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot developed by OpenAI, which has taken the tech industry by storm since its release. In just two months, the platform has attracted 100…
It *should* work – When science isn’t easy
Recently I was talking to a distressed Bachelor student who was lamenting that her cloning wasn’t working. She felt a bit silly that she couldn’t achieve something that should have…
Parenting, promotions, and pastries
I am not a biologist, I’m not even a scientist, I am an engineer. If that means nothing to you, this illustration will help. I studied engineering at university. I…
Science and Diversity Symbiosis
Science defines the systematic experimental observation of the world, but, simultaneously, it has, and it brings, lots more! A few days ago, I attended the weekly meeting of our research…
Juggling science and kids – Having a baby while doing a PhD
Question: When is a good time in your career to have kids? Answer: Never. But some times are better/worse than others. My 5-year plan I remember at the start of…
Family-(un)friendly meeting times
I have two young, energetic children. Before having kids, I didn’t really understand how much they would change my life. I’m not talking about this in the poetic, metaphorical sense.…
A day in my life – as a real-life scientist and mother
Who am I? Hey. My name is Rebecca Burkart and I am working as a postdoc in developmental genetics, like all the others that posted something on this site so…
Science – the nobler art
Before we start: if you’re just here for the pictures, scroll down! If you appreciate fine writing, continue! Scientists are nobler artists. We, as scientists, pursue the truth. Our master…
Cheers to New Beginnings
When I started writing this article, I remembered a quote by the American novelist Louis L’Amour, “a good beginning makes a good end”. Beginnings always mark our lives and bring…
Lab mess-ups: Fighting fire with…nothing, usually
Lab safety is something that’s taken extremely seriously. You can’t just walk into a lab without having first attended a safety induction to cover the basics. Despite the precautions taken,…
Facing the saboteur
One of the frequently discussed psychological phenomena in academia is ‘the Imposter syndrome’. You may wonder what triggers one to feel like an imposter. Aren’t the researchers the smartest people…
Being a good lab citizen
Working in a lab often feels like living in a student share-house. If you’ve ever lived in a share-house, you know that some housemates are easier to live with than…
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Leafing Through Biology 