Can the BPASS code natively predict the progenitors of (some) super luminous supernovae? Yes it can. And you can go look for it with hoki!

So what is the big deal?

The answer lies less with science than it does with marketing and business in my opinion, but before I share my (potentially controversial) two-cent, here is what you need to know about the discoveries.

Burn-out in Academia is far too frequent — How do we navigate tough times? How can we learn to prevent reaching our breaking point?

Written by Marina Gardasevic

Finding the right lab for you can be a tricky endeavour. There are so many factors to consider, if you’re struggling to know what to pay attention to and what crucial questions to ask, we’ve got 10 amazing tips for you.

In this piece we will explore why boys are naturally not suited for the scientific pursuit, and why they should really leave it to the women.

Here are Good Code Lite (TM) guidelines that are achievable and maintainable in the academic sphere. I have also split these recommendations into 3 tiers of effort, depending on the application: each new tier builds upon the previous ones.

Every time I post pictures of my logbook, I get asked a lot of questions, so today I am finally going to walk you through how you can make the most of your notebook.

It’s not a fucking compliment.

Here is why.

That 70 solar mass black hole is probably 10 times less massive than people thought — here is why!

This is Part II of a blog series on switching PhD advisors; check out Part I: Switching PhD Advisor: The “good”, the bad, the ugly.

Changing PhD advisor is a lot more common than people might think. I gathered over 30 stories of individuals who had to go through this experience and in Part I of this series I hope to shed some light on the complex landscape of circumstances that can lead to a change in PhD supervision. These range from the most collegial of agreements to the extremes of bullying.

The day of my PhD defense felt like Christmas to me. I couldn’t wait and I was so excited. In this piece I share some tips and tricks on how to approach your defense with a positive mindset and make this day as special as it deserves.

Although academia is, by industry standards, a pretty relaxed environment, certain difficult situations may require you to write formal emails at times of high stress and deep frustration. This can be a daunting task with high stakes, so here are some tips to help you communicate your message most effectively.

Are you tired of writing the same lines of code to prettify your matplotlib every time you make a plot? Are you trying to find a semi-productive activity to delay returning to your actual responsibilities for another 10 to 15 minutes?

If the answer the either or both of these questions is, LET’S MAKE A STYLE SHEET!

Because of my job I’ve done my fair share of travelling, and I’ve learnt that the devil really is in the details.

So for anyone who hasn’t done a lot of long haul travelling, here are 10 fundamental tips that will make your journey all the easier.

If you’ve ever met me I might have told you about that time I helped clean a telescope mirror with “horse shampoo”. Here it is with extra details and pictures!

After reading “Codes of conduct: Why?” I hope that I have convinced you that they are a useful tool to foster welcoming and healthy work environments to all members of a community.

In this second piece, I will recount the story of the code of conduct of the Physics and Astronomy department of the University of Sheffield and what we learnt along the way, in the hopes that it may serve others.

Codes of conduct are being talked about more and more in astronomy. Why might that be? And why do we need them: isn’t good behaviour just common sense?

In this piece I hope to convince you that codes of conduct are a fundamental step to fostering a healthy working space for all members of a scientific community.

A quick guide to what the role of Chair entails at a conference. If you’re about to chair a conference session for the first time, I hope this would be useful for you to read.