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Honest research is a chance and a necessity
Two weeks ago, I crossed the Pyrénees with two colleagues from our ecology lab to attend a marine ecology/biology workshop in Barcelona — my first ecology conference, going through the mountains to learn about the ocean! More importantly, I learned a big lesson there, and it wasn’t a scientific one. The initial objective for me…
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Mas Que Nada
With 2024 fading out, yesterday I thought I would make a hard-review of how I’ve spent my time and what I have achieved (or not) since March 2023, when I started this research transition. The exercice offers instructive insights into the challenges of attempting a major reorientation like this in the middle of an active…
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One year, and taking off
This blog is turning one year old today, and I haven’t posted much in recent months. Not that the the whole project is falling apart, quite the opposite actually: I am really busy running things in parallel, and am prioritizing science developments ! But, after a perfect rejuvinating autumnal week-end in Pyrenean nature thinking about…
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Compared to what ? Musings on climate vs. ecological modelling
I have spent the summer reading scientific articles and books I had put aside in springtime. The highlight of this period has not been reading ecology, but rather the recent book “Computing the climate: how we know what we know about climate change” by Steve Easterbrook. Indeed, the book has given me plenty of food…
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Last dance
I’m on my way to the UK where I was invited to an astro conference doubling with a birthday celebration of a famous US astrophysicist. I tend to travel abroad minimalistically these days, but I didn’t have the heart to decline this one by respect for my colleague and for all the close colleagues (some…
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Can more research make a difference ?
In the context of explaining my transition into ecological research, I am regularly facing questions / comments from both scientists and non-scientists, as to whether engaging in scientific research aiming at understanding the ecological or climate crises we are facing is (still) an effective and timely thing to do to address these crises. This post…
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Feelings
As I am getting more committed to, and delving deeper into hands on ecology research, my internal feelings for keeping doing astro have actually never been so ambivalent. Would you like to know what is going on in the mind of a scientist having to face his, and his own research community contradictions to revisit…
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Joy springs
It has been a few weeks since my last post. Busy times ! Spring is here, in a variety of senses, not least that I am finding some of my work mojo back after trying to reorganize my schedule to accomodate two jobs at once. It seems to work ! And then, good news…With a…
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Of orchids and life adaptation
After a few unfortunately rather negative-spirited posts reflecting some of my recent seasonal struggles, here is an early spring entry offering a bit of fresh hope and excitement, and a possible lead as to how to better organize one’s life and time if, like me, you are of the creative, enthusiastic hyperactive, yet scattered and…
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The winding way
“How do you eat an elephant ? One bit at a time”. I only first heard this well-known motivational joke in an upright bass master class ten years ago, and was surprised back then to have never been exposed to it before in my professional life, as a student and young researcher. Although possibly a…