nodalpoint.org - funny - Comments

The Broken Double Helix

Duncan — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 14:02:32 -0400

There is a good overview of the media-furore surrounding Jim's recent trip to the UK over at the molecular systems biology blog...

Another boo-boo

chris — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:09:35 -0400

Yes - he's rather famous for these. When the Jimome was announced at the Biology of Genomes at CSHL in May, he gave an impromptu little homily before the keynote speeches. In his usual rambling style, he trotted out a number of comments which made his audience (or at least me) very uncomfortable - not least in reference to his son Rufus, who has a rather rare form of depressive (?) schizophrenia.
I wonder if his suspension by the CSHL Board is a prelude to his stepping down, or a slap on the wrist?
I will point out though that CSHL was a backwater when Watson took over; he attracted funding and donations and turned the place around. He still has enormous pull with private donors (eg the construction currently under way at a cost of ~$100 million).

out of his depth

seidel — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:45:56 -0400

I saw him speak in Berkeley where he made some of the remarks listed above, including an admonition not to hire fat people or accept them as graduate students because "...they are lazy, and too happy to work hard." The article in the independent gets it right when it describes him as out of his depth on the issue. Scientists can point to data that might be socially uncomfortable or non-PC and that's one thing, but he gets it wrong and throws in personal anecdotes as evidence - which throws all objectivity out the window, and simply paints him as a bigot. Aside from the content, the fact that he can't tell the trajectory of his own remarks disturbs me. I feel bad for Cold Spring Harbor. I hope they don't suffer any fallout (i.e. funding backlash).

Open Access?

Duncan — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 12:42:39 -0400

It seems we're not quite there yet, even with the Open Access journals. See This post from Peter Murray-Rust on "Open" Access.

Unintentional hilarity

Neil — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:36:24 -0400

I've had that poster above my desk for years (in fact I think you alerted me to it about 6 or 7 years ago).

Unintentional hilarity is right. The swift, incisive comment by the OA community has labelled this group as clowns from day one. They're doomed to ridicule and disdain until they take down their site.

Thank God

nuin — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 19:09:43 -0400

It is "only" in America so far.