Author: Osman Khaleel // Editor: Cherene de Bruyn Cover image from Pexels *Archaeology: The study of past human cultures through the material culture (artefacts) left behind. *Lithics: Archaeological artefacts made from stone, including hand axes, scrapers, projectile points and knives. *Cataracts: Areas on the Nile between Aswan and Khartoum where the water is shallow. BACKGROUND Growing … Continue reading Navigating the PhD journey amid prolonged conflict: Challenges, growth, and resilience
Author: Nina Wycech // Editor: Erin Pallott The time has come for me to start my Master’s project in Bioinformatics, and to do so, I need a big dataset ready to analyse. But how do I get it in time, and most importantly, without collecting it myself in the clinic? Thankfully, there is a shared … Continue reading Have you heard about UK Biobank?
Author: Zoe Chernova // Editor: Erin Pallott “People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact, it’s the other way around.” Terry Pratchett Our whole lives are stories. We tell them to our children, read them in books, and can't tear ourselves away from TV series precisely because we love stories. Our minds are … Continue reading Storytelling for Scientists: When You Need it and What to Do
Author: Precious Chiwara // Editors: Cherene de Bruyn & Sarah Charlin Klingberg My journey to pursue a PhD in palaeosciences, specifically archaeology, started in 2021 when I received the Human Evolution Research Institute (HERI) #Advancing Woman Award for black female students at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. This #Advancing Woman program was … Continue reading Thriving against all odds: Navigating a PhD as a black woman in palaeosciences
Author: Jenny Doak // Editors: Elan Shellard & Rashmi Danwaththa Liyanage What is Homelessness? For most people, the term ‘homeless’ conjures up images of a person sleeping on the streets. However, rough sleeping is only one form of homelessness. Crisis explains that other forms of homelessness include living in temporary accommodation, ‘hidden homelessness’ and statutory … Continue reading Why Does a Person’s Life Expectancy Drop by 30 Years if they don’t Have a Home?
Author: Nompumelelo Maringa // Editors: Cherene de Bruyn & Sarah Charlin Klingberg THE PAST I have had an interest in history, archaeology and the environment for as long as I can remember. I cherished being outside, playing with plants, gardening, watching insects forage for food or tunnelling a new home in the soils of my home garden. … Continue reading The Road to PhD: A Zooarchaeologist’s Reflection on the Past and the Present
When we approach people with our blog opportunity, a common response is, "I'd like to give it a go, but I'm not sure where to start". Getting started can be the hardest part. The commitment of finally putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) can feel like the biggest individual step to overcome. Research … Continue reading How Do I Get Started? New Guide and Workshops
Author: Jiya Mahajan // Editors: Emily Barrett & Erin Pallott When you think of a great leader, what comes to your mind? Maybe a CEO, a football coach giving a pep talk, or even a teacher who inspired you to chase your dreams. But what really makes someone a good leader? Leadership is often seen … Continue reading How Psychology Can Help you Become a Better Leader and Decision-Maker
Author: Sarah Charlin Klingberg // Editors: Erin Pallott & Catarina Cruz “I used to be such an avid reader!” Maybe this resonates with you, given that I heard this from many of my peers and friends when I told them I started reading fiction again. Being an avid reader as a child and teenager, I … Continue reading A Chapter a Day Keeps the Doctor Away: Fact or Fiction?
Author: Federica Spaggiari // Editors: Erin Pallott & Elan Shellard When people are asked to think of a word to describe politics, the answers range from laws to corruption, taxes to parties, elections to inflation. Would you consider ‘science’ as a response? Surprisingly, the first definition of politics according to the Oxford Dictionary does Indeed, … Continue reading Science and Legislation: Challenges, benefits and hopes of a growing relationship
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