Episode 29 – How to Survive Your Viva, Revisited
In this week’s episode we revisit the topic that we examined in our first ever episode of Naturally Speaking—the dreaded PhD viva (also known as the defence in some countries). This is the final oral examination faced by PhD students before they can be awarded their degree. This episode features a panel discussion with Prof Neil Metcalfe, Prof Barbara Mable (@barbaramable1), Jennifer […]
Episode 27 – Adventures in Statistics: An Interview with Paul Johnson
In this Episode, statistician and population geneticist Paul Johnson (@PaulCDJo) of the University of Glasgow tells Shaun Killen (@shaunkillen) about his unusual career route into academics, how he fell in love with stats, and what he wishes more biologists would understand about statistical analyses. Paul has rare gift for clearly explaining complex concepts so it’s well worth a listen! Episode […]
Episode 25 – The Problem with P-Values
It is difficult to find a scientific paper that does not include p-values in some capacity. Most often, p-values are used to statistically interpret whether the results of a given study are “significant” or if a real effect is being observed. However, a number of recent papers have begun to challenge this paradigm, suggesting that p-values are now used incorrectly and […]
Episode 19 – Ecology of Ageing and Immunity, Interview with Mark Haussmann and Simon Babayan
In this instalment of Naturally Speaking Shorts we present a double-interview as Shaun Killen chats with Prof Mark Haussmann (Bucknell University) and Dr Simon Babayan (University of Glasgow). Mark studies the physiological and ecological factors underlying ageing in animals, while Simon studies how ecology interacts with the mechanics of the immune system in wild and laboratory animals. Why do some animal […]
Episode 17 – Social Media and Science Communication
Episode 17 – Social Media and Science Communication In the latest instalment in our Survivor’s Guide to Academia, we discuss how researchers can use social media to connect with other scientists, and more importantly, the general public. Shaun Killen asks James Grecian, Jim Caryl, and Jamie Gallagher about their experiences with using social media, the various platforms that are […]
Episode 13 – The Science of Jurassic Park
This episode marks the first in a series in which we discuss the science behind some of our favourite science fiction movies. Why start with Jurassic Park? Well, it’s loaded with sciencey concepts, but this year is also 20 years (!) since it was first released and so we thought it would be a good time to check back on […]
Episode 12 – Research Roundup: Bacteria in Chicken Eggs, Antioxidants and Lifespan, and Maternal Effects on Growth in Salmon
In this Research Roundup episode we summarise three recent research papers published by Institute members. First we discuss Maureen Bain’s recent work examining the extent to which bacteria may pass through the shells of the chicken eggs we use for food. We then chat about Colin Selman’s recent paper showing that dietary antioxidant supplements may actually decrease lifespan in some […]
