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Category Archives: Scientists
The role of luck in life success
“In the last few years, a number of studies and books…. have suggested that luck and opportunity may play a far greater role than we ever realized, across a number of fields, including financial trading, business, sports, art, music, literature, … Continue reading
Posted in Careers, Opinion, Science, Scientists
Tagged Academia, Life, Peer review, Progress
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Recommended Reads – For Rainy Days/Covid-19 Isolation Activity Part II
Here is my second installment of books that I have enjoyed reading. Nature’s Argonaut: Daniel Solander 1733-1782 by Edward Duyker. Melbourne: Miegunyah Press. 1998. 400 pages. Daniel Solander was the de facto naturalist on Cook’s first voyage, although Joseph Banks, … Continue reading
Posted in Biography, Biology, Birds, Conservation, Pollinators, Scientists
Tagged Books
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Recommended Reads – For Rainy Days/Covid-19 Isolation Activity Part I
As someone with “underlying health issues” and a compromised immune system, I feel that the Covid-19 pandemic has really thrown a spanner in the works of my spring activity-plan. I am sure that many naturalists are in a similar situation. … Continue reading
The inertia of science
Some of the greatest scientific advances have been made by maverick scientists; people who go off on tangents despite widely accepted existing paradigms. A paradigm is essentially an accepted framework that directs research to advance by an accumulation of solutions … Continue reading
Posted in Opinion, Science, Scientists
Tagged Opinion, Peer review, Progress, Scientific method
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Confessions of an ADD scientist
I have very deep admiration for scientists who attack a subject from numerous angles, and persist for years or decades, perhaps even a full career unravelling the mysteries of a particular system. Charles Darwin comes to mind, of course, although … Continue reading
Looking back at 2017
On these first few days of 2018 I have been waking up to a wintery scene at our home in south Nanaimo. The lake is almost completely frozen, and the nighttime temperature has come down to exactly what was needed … Continue reading
Against all odds III: Cannery Row’s ‘Doc’ Ricketts
If like me, you have been around the block a few times, you probably know who I am referring to. ‘Doc’ was the somewhat eccentric biologist central to several of John Steinbeck’s novels, specifically Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday. He … Continue reading
Alexander von Humboldt: Naturalist Extraordinaire
It has been a while since I wrote a blog post. As a retiree, you’d think I would have lots of time, and I do. But I also have lots of activities, admittedly combined with a tendency to procrastinate more … Continue reading
Posted in Biography, Scientists
Tagged Humboldt, Naturalist
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Against all odds II: Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913)
Some time ago I wrote a blog where I highlighted the incredible contributions to science of Mary Anning, the poor, uneducated daughter of a cabinet maker in Lyme Regis through her discoveries of important fossils on what is now called … Continue reading
Posted in Biography, Scientists
Tagged Naturalist, Wallace
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Against all odds: The story of an inspirational scientist
One of my retirement activities is to read for pleasure. As a professor at the University of Northern BC, I simply had little appetite for reading on my spare time. Now I once again enjoy losing myself in various stories, … Continue reading
