Email from a Nobel Laureate - Randy Schekman @eLife

#eLife #nobelprize #publishing #science #Facebook

Yesterday I got a (second) email from Randy Schekman, who will be awarded with the Nobel today. Please find below his mail and my reply:

Hello Philipp –

When I accept the Nobel Prize tomorrow with Jim Rothman and Tom Südhof it will be a proud moment to mark three decades of work in cellular transport, and the contributions of the numerous colleagues who we have been fortunate enough to work with over those years. It will also be an opportunity to highlight the work we’re all doing to improve and advance the conduct of science itself.

Access to public higher education and the published outputs of science are two issues that I care very deeply about so, while I have this unique opportunity, I'd like to invite you to share your views on these and other key topics in science. Do you agree that the cost of education has become an impediment in the U.S.? Do you agree that traditional publishing processes need to change? How and why?

Join me in an online conversation throughout the week, and help me ask as many brilliant minds as possible to participate.

http://www.elifesciences.org/crm/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=817&qid=422177

Share this graphic on Facebook to encourage your fellow scientists to join the discussion about the most important issues in scientific research:

And, be sure to follow eLife on Facebook and Twitter for updates from tomorrow’s ceremony.

Randy

Randy Schekman

HHMI Investigator

Editor-in-Chief, eLife

Dept. of Mol. and Cell Biology

Li Ka Shing Center

UC Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 94720-3370

Hello Randy,

many thanks for your email. I would think that saying what you wrote in your article published in the Guardian is just about right. That hits the point. Still, I’d also say that prizes like the Nobel are a big part of the problem - at least for life sciences. This is not saying anything about your great research, I am sure you deserve the prize (of one can deserve a prize actually, but I am lacking the right word just now), but there are a whole lot of e.g. Biologists who will never be able to get any award/prize just by the fact that their research is not “sexy” enough (or has no direct merit to human health or something). Also in quite a few cases prizes are given to the lab head, when it is a team of many many people that should be awarded (and in this context see the discussion around who should be merited for the “Higgs” - and I am surely not the one to judge this, but I like what Peter says in his interviews). In this way any of these huge publicly announced awards (another one would e.g. be the German Leibnitz Preis) are part of the problem.

One remark though at the end: Sharing on Facebook‽‽‽ Randy, come on, that is about the same as Cell, Nature and Science.

All the best and have fun today!

Philipp

Intro and Methods done! Thanks #Aspirin #ThesisWriting

Oh, and got a postcard from Iran yesterday. Love getting #postcards - especially from far away places not many people visit.

 

 

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#Asterix #Pikten #ThesisWriting

My very good friends gave me a brilliant present for my 33rd birthday: the latest Asterix. And it is Asterix and the Picts - how very fitting. Can't wait to move there actually...

Meanwhile thesis and paper writing is keeping me from any social interactions...

 

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#ZIK - Let it be known - #music # fun

Let it be known that as of today I can only be adressed by means that allow me to wear my Parrok Zik during conversation. People might use any technical tools such as Skype, Hangout, Facetime, or shout very loud.

 

 

https://joindiaspora.com/i/cddd661dd62e

A praise for The Weepies #theweepies

Travelling back from a great status symposium in Hannover I am tired, tired, tired. The last two days have been very intense and the nights rather short: drinking late, starting early. Talks were very interesting and I spoke to many great colleagues. Although it was quite a small meeting I met one colleague I hadn't chatted with at all, only when boarding the train. It is rather unfortunate that after two long days with a lot of science the brain is so flooded with impressions. One can hardly find words to chat.

Having spent the first half of the train journey working on my thesis and a paper I am finding myself so tired by now, that the only thing I really can do is write a praise on The Weepies. Recently I discovered this band and their 2006 album 'say i am you' through this video http://vimeo.com/14803194, which was mentioned on #Diaspora I think. Anyway, this is such a beautiful music, especially 'World Spins Madly Round' and 'Living In Twilight'. Well actually most of the album is just great, moving, thoughtful. Highly recommend it.

Although I am surely not one of these "Kölle is dä beste Ort üverhauopt" guys, I must admit that there is something to it when you cross the Rhein at night and see the Dom coming up in front of you. Even more so when listening to Dire Straits and their 'Going Home' on Alchemy.

https://joindiaspora.com/i/cddd661dd62e

Mad travel frenzy

Thus it begins, 6 cities in 9 days:

Cologne - Hannover - Cologne - Edinburgh (yai!) - London - Hamburg - Ploen (Kiel) - Cologne - puuuuhh, sleep.

Two talks, many chats, some wine (I hope).

 

 

https://joindiaspora.com/i/cddd661dd62e

The Selfish Gene #Nei on #Dawkins in Mutation-Driven Evolution

This is one of the best things read in quite a while. Nei explains why the theory of the #selfishgene is not a scientific theory. He goes as far as to explain that it is in a way equal to #creationism, which of course is not a valid theory as well.

 

https://joindiaspora.com/i/cddd661dd62e

#coffee #wine dangerous love #japan and #spies

For the last 2.5 months of the year we are now stocked up with coffee at the office. 200 shots:

No sleep no more.

On Thursday I read about Haruki Murakami, because he was one of the candidates for the Nobel this year. They wrote about a new translation of one of one of his books and I decided to buy it. It is, I guess, about life in general and a love that might be imagined, or not.

I hope to learn more about Japan from this, which has always been fascinating to me. Today I also read this article http://goo.gl/4P23pd about Japan's ageing community and the future. Kiki and Kikai, crisis and opportunity.

With a good book a good glass of wine is always a good thing. ;)

 

The Lehmann wines are usually quite good. This one needs to breath for a while, because it is a bit sour, or sharp in the beginning, but the I rather liked it.

Also today (when do I even work, huh?) I read about #GCHQ and the #Snowdon files in this article in the Guardian http://goo.gl/9JI9V7

It gives a different view on the story, mostly a British and why Brits. did not have such an outcry about the story, as everybody else had. But the most interesting thought, which I fully agree with, is that we of course want to have spies, people that protect our democracies. Only there has to be a clear cut of what they are allowed to do and what not.

Finally something else from the Guardian:

Rugger!

 

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A storm is coming

To finish the autumn series. Strong winds yesterday 

brought a lot of clouds this morning, 

but also a magnificent light.

So it seems a storm is coming and as usual nobody knows what it will bring. I liked the freshness in the air though.

Working on my Prezi for a symposium in two weeks

and my visit to Ploen, I am going back to something I already previously used to explain parthenogenesis, apples and worms:

Will link the Prezi once it is done....

#Edinburgh here I come

Will be going back to Edinburgh for a short 3 day visit in a couple of weeks. Though it will, I guess, be a bit darker than on the photos from last year I am really looking forward to it. Apart from where the summer is (Melbourne?) it is the #place2be. Also I can #haveadrink with my good mate who works there and on the way back - I am invited to Ploen to give a talk at the MPI - crash at the couch of another good friend in Hamburg. #goodtrip

Der Herbst ist da and do we stop it with #China's science industry?

#Autumn has arrived in Cologne. It is considerably colder now in the mornings when riding to work, but one gets some really nice scenes like this mist in Gründgürtel.

Soon it will be riding there and back again in the dark, but there is still some sun in the evenings.

Including some majestic scenery.

Finally #Köln from the 30th floor with the #Rhein

The #Dom.

The sky was so clear this Sunday that one could see right to the #Siebengebirge. A brilliant day.

Quite unrelated. Last week I read an article about a man in #China who was sentenced to death and apparently now executed http://goo.gl/23PFYA. From what was in the article the man was guilty of killing two, but it was self defence, maybe manslaughter. In western European legal systems he might have had to serve several years (or not, who knows). So, this wont even be about #capitalpunishment, which is wrong, but more about the injust juridical system in China and the constant ignorance of #humanrights. Reading the article I started thinking again of China's recent move into #bigdata #science in #Biology through the #BGI. Actually I also don't want to judge on BGI and scientists there, I guess these are great people and scientists. Earlier this year I even had been in contact with some of there representatives, when considering to run a project with them. Well, in the end they re-acted a bit odd when I told them that our core-facility would be much cheaper for me, but I guess that is just cultural differences.

Anyhow, what I have been thinking during the last couple of days and what I'd like to hear opinions on is this: The way big science in China is run is mirroring how people are treated there. It is mass production, exploitation of every opportunity and indifferent to individual beings. Instead of putting money to better the standard of living for every citizen and - from a science view - support individual scientists, money is used to generate high impact publications on a high throughput level.

Should western scientists really collaborate with them?

Or would it not make sense to boycott large scale co-ops, while still collaborating on the personal or group level. This, I think, could generate a lot of leverage, because what the government there is looking for with big science, is of course reputation. It is all about reputation.
Please comment...


Meanwhile in preparation for season 3, Carrie is back with season 1...

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Got a #general a #zeneral even - well...

Today we  had another pointless fire alarm at the glorious Biocenter. 4 fire trucks and an ambulance arrived, but nothing could be found. Everybody had to wait for one hour outside, with the alarm ringing for about 45 minutes. So now I am running an experiment at home, will two small cups of #espresso keep my mind running for another 2 or 3 hours to work, or will it just induce #insomnia later on. Will be good to know anyway, for the last 3 (!!!) months of the year.

Meanwhile I got a #general from #China to guard my #Buddha, my #Bonsai (both from the Baumarkt), and my #worm from #GB.  

#Bundestagswahlen

Auf dem Weg zur #Bundestagswahl 2013. Ihr solltet alle gehen, für vier bessere Jahre für #Deutschland und vor allem den Rest von #Europa. Wer nicht wählt, der kann sich nachher nicht beschweren. #Nichtwählen ist nicht schick und radikal, sondern einfach nur dumm.

 

 

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No #nukes!

Actually already tweeted this from the Guardian before, but it is so disturbing that I think it deserves a blog post. Apparently in the early Sixtes only a tiny switch prone to malfunction stopped a hydrogen bomb from going of at the US East Coast when two bombs were dislodged from a B52. Hell on Earth!

http://goo.gl/4ZXo5Z

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/20/usaf-atomic-bomb-north-carolina-1961

Ist es wirklich schon so weit?!?

Yesterday morning, after putting the bike into the office as usual, I was leaving the Biocenter at about 8:45 to go to some talks. Just that moment my boss arrived on his bike and actually asked if I was about to finish my shift now. Do I look that desperate?!? #mylife #science

Next time I happen to leave the Biocenter for whatever reason at that time I am going to take an empty bottle of beer. #makeastatement

 

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Merci pour les cadeaux

Started to revive my #French on my way to work. It is a bit odd on the bike, but was so embarrassing this summer in #France - lost almost everything #gottadosomething

Ce matin, reports, reports, reports ...

 

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Wide awake for the first time today

After taking a run in my new 'natural running' shoes - love 'em - I feel really awake for the first time today. Ready to finish the last of the reviewers demands and get finished with the paper.

Blue shoes

and orange socks

a must these days. :D

 

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Altweibersommer

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