The Replication Crisis
On Wednesday evening last week the psychology department hosted a guest lecture by Professor David Shanks from UCL titled “The Replication Crisis in Psychology”. As the title suggests, the lecture discussed the issues around the lack of replication, and the inability to replicate a number of experiments in the area of psychology. Replication should be […]
Eight things [a] successful[ish] PhD student [kind of does]
Today a Guardian article titled “5 things that PhD students refuse to do” has been shared widely on social media. While there were good bits, I thought it was, on the whole, a load of rubbish and included some pretty bad advice. Part of my issue with the article is that the author, Isaiah […]

A Change in Diet
The hours required to get a PhD are pretty phenomenal, as they are in other professions. I aim to start work at 9 am and realistically start at 9:30 am. The days when I leave at 5 are few and far between, normally I leave somewhere in the region of 7-9 pm. On more than […]
Harry Holkham and the Half Blood Prince
I caught Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince when it showed on TV and I felt rather envious of Harry Potter. My envy was because Mr Potter was not having a problem that I routinely have (and not because of the $15 billion brand, place at Hogwarts and ability to defeat evil). He is […]

Massive Online Open Courses
Introduction In 1728 Caleb Phillips placed the following article in the Boston Gazette: CALEB PHILIPPS Teacher of the NEW Method of Short Hand, is remov’d opposite to the north door of the Town House in King-street. As this way of Joyning 3, 4, 5 &c. words in one in every Sentence by the Moods, Tenses, […]

Anyone for a PubhD?
This evening I was flicking through twitter when I came accross this tweet from Simon Singh (@SLSingh). The link ultimately took me to the page for the Nottingham PubhD event. The concept for this event is not complicated – people sit in a pub, and three speakers explain their PhD in 10 minutes […]

A Virtual Hoarder?
I came on to blog about something else, and in the process I came across a blog written by Regan about a virtual clear out, it got me thinking – am I a virtual hoarder? I started typing a comment, but when it came out this long (and over the character limit) I decided to post it […]

Mountain Leader
Outside of work I enjoy climbing and mountaineering and I’m an active member of the University of Leicester Mountaineering Club. Following some of the well documented “epics” of the last academic year I decided to go on a formal training course. With some financial support provided by the James Brownhill Memorial Trust (for which I […]

My stint in Parliament
I am in the process of moving all my belongings back to Leicester after spending three months doing a placement in the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology provides independent scientific advice to both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. I was spending three […]

Frederick Sanger
When I return home my first instinct is to check facebook, today was no different. Between the usual photos, buzz feed links and bit strips was a status that caught my eye, it was a friend saying he was sad to hear the news of the death of Frederick Sanger. Frederick Sanger was a member […]
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