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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 bit cliché, it has since served…
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How astrophysics has changed
Scientific research fields evolve in time depending on their own progress, and contemporary historical, political and technological contexts. In this post, I would like to build on the inception post of this blog and try to put in words my increasingly uneasy personal feelings about the evolution of astrophysics over the last decades, which are among the reasons (although by far…
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From ecostrophysics to astrocology
Life, and its diversity on Earth, can be envisioned as an integral part of the story told by astrophysics and cosmology. Conversely, we may want to frame the structure and evolution of the Universe, and its various physical bits, with respect to the complexity of life and ecosystems. Let me explain this (very scientific) idea ! This week, I saw an…
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Prospective thoughts on the environmental impacts of research
5-year scientific prospective reports of CNRS national institutes were published today, and I quickly read through that of my current national institute, INSU (Institut National des Sciences de l’Univers). I thought I would share some quick thoughts on the section on the reduction of the “environmental impact” of research – because for once, it is an official report that contains such…
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Let the ego go
It was to be expected but as the end of year holidays unfold, I’m finding myself processing a lot of thoughts about my professional life the decisions I made in 2023. Some of them make me uneasy, and I think I know why: they have to do with letting go of a professional experience and knowledge carefully crafted over 25 years,…
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An academic research Xmas story
It has been 9 months since I initiated a transition from astrophysics to ecology research, and since it is the end of the year, time for a first assessment in the form of a twisty Xmas tale that ends, well…I’ll let you readers be the judge. Nine months is a short period of time to start a research project from scratch…
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Bridges
Let’s talk today about how I have been approaching finding a first research subject in ecology after my initial conversations. When it comes to entering a research field, it works a bit differently when you start as an already experienced researcher, compared to a new undergrad or PhD student. Your new colleagues just are not going to serve you a subject…
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Conversations & conservation
Today I would like to talk a bit about the importance of conversations and new encounters. A key ingredient to successfully getting into something very new, at least for me, is to talk to competent people, to get solid advice from both reliable friends and experts, to find mentors, to carefully listen with humility to what these people have to say,…
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Overcoming doubts and getting started
Changing research topics and, even more, completely changing fields, is no easy feat, even for a seasoned butterfly researcher, and it takes time to overcome one’s own doubts and limitations. I see ecology first and foremost as a life science, and I haven’t done any biology since high-school – that is, I haven’t done any biology at all. As an experienced…
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Dogs and butterflies
Scientists usually specialize in a field, and on a particular subject, quite early in their career (usually, during their PhD). Due to the ever increasing complexity, technicity, and accumulation of knowledge and publications in our fields, we also often develop a very narrow and highly technical expertise as our career progresses. This is true in astronomy & astrophysics, of course: after…
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@Francois oué. Un Insecte
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@Francois oué. Un Insecte