Have you heard the one about PowerPoint?
September 26, 2012 Filed under Blog, Featured, Humor, Presentations
A word about PowerPoint. PowerPoint was released by Microsoft in 1990 as a way to euthanize cattle using a method less cruel than hitting them over the head with iron mallets. After PETA successfully argued in court that PowerPoint actually was more cruel than iron mallets, the program was adopted by corporations for slide show […]
Thoughts about Clarke’s “Ethics of Science Communication on the Web”
September 22, 2012 Filed under Blog, Featured, Publishing, Uncategorized
My friend Jim reminded me about an article “Ethics of Science Communication on the Web” by Maxine Clarke of the Nature Publishing Group in Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics. I might have seen this paper before, but Jim’s reminder and me taking a look at it again strikes me as a little ironic. Don’t […]
Coming soon: eBook of Eloquent Science!
The American Meteorological Society is close to offering eBooks of some of its titles. This means that Eloquent Science will soon be offered in electronic format. Watch this space!
Blog Break
I’ll be away until the end of August on a well-deserved and well-needed break. (Image from http://anxiousnomore.blogspot.co.uk)
Automation of literature reviews
A recently published paper in Scientometrics raises the specter of an automated tool that would search through existing citations and “facilitate novices to perform tasks that are usually carried out by trained professionals.” The tool was then used for students to create literature reviews and these were submitted to conferences. The tool was so successful, […]
Book Review: Navigating Graduate School and Beyond
I just finished reading a great new book on career guidance for graduate students by Prof. Sundar Christopher: Navigating Graduate School and Beyond: A Career Guide for Graduate Students and a Must Read for Every Advisor. Written by the Chair of the Department of Atmospheric Science at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, this book […]
Avoid hyperbole in scientific writing.
Hyperbole can take many different forms. Nearly all should be avoided in scientific writing. Avoid calling previous work “pioneering”, “novel”, or “foundational”, unless it truly is. Don’t call a study “comprehensive.” They rarely are. Don’t say that you’ve conducted “detailed work.” You’re a scientist. You’re supposed to do detailed work. Avoid absolutes like “never”, “always”, […]
Oh, snap! A dig at a badly written introduction
An unfortunate order of words
A quote from Sports Minister Hugh Robertson, from this article. “The British themselves are pretty stoic; there is a long tradition of watching sport in rain macs or listening to Cliff Richard or whatever.” Come on. Cliff Richard isn’t that bad.
Deep thoughts about editing
Not sure where I found this, but it’s classic!
