Can we keep a score on climate?
Last week I attended Climate Update 2018 event in Brisbane where we heard from various eminent speakers on the state of climate and what different organisations, such as the Queensland government, are doing in this space. In his presentation at Climate Update 2018, Mark Howden from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change focused on the […]
Why finding a bouncing-ideas-buddy will pay off: the secrets of collaboration
In science and in many related fields, the lone genius assumption persists: that individuals act and think alone, pour themselves over data in solitude and emerge with a solution that is revolutionary and inspirational. Many do buy into this story. Yet, the stories we actually hear are often those of insights that have emerged through […]
The fine line between productive habits and stalling points
I came across recently Morten Hansen in Coaching for Leaders episode 337 where Morten discussed his recent book Great at work. Morten’s five year study shows that the most successful people who excel at their work do not work more but less. They are more focused when they work and they also are agile learners: […]
Cyclone Gita and the perils of organising conferences in a changing climate
This past week hundreds of people gathered to Wellington, New Zealand, to attend the second Pacific Climate Change Conference 2018. The conference, organised by the Secretariat of the Pacific Environment Regional Program (SPREP) and University of Victoria, focused on showcasing the latest research in the Pacific Islands and featured several international keynote speakers from Professor […]
6 essentials in developing an academic career
I’ve recently been approached by several early career researchers (ECRs) about how to network, how to focus their careers and how to start building their profile while they are still in an early phase in their career. In the university system, there is often not much advice on personal branding for academics or how to […]
What’s in a decision?
This week’s two key news items have stuck with me: Cape Town running out of water and UK Met Office announcing we might already see an annual global temperature increase of 1.5 in the next five years. Both are good reminders that even though we have models and science to project future changes, the global […]
Don’t think of a (damaged) reef
A rather fierce debate has been circulating in recent weeks in Australia about the state of the Great Barrier Reef, “the largest living thing on Earth and what should be done about it. Great Barrier Reef in the state of Queensland is one of the seven wonders of the world and pulls in large number of […]
The 3 mindsets in making constraints beautiful
Most of us have a tendency to keep a mental list of all those things in our lives that are stopping us from doing what we really want to do or that are constraining us from reaching our full potential. But although there is much advice out there how every situation has a positive side, […]
Bats are boiling and green turtles are turning female: how close are we to adaptation limits?
This week’s Twitter feed has been particularly concerning, some would say crazy, regarding the changes and shifts in weather and climate trends that are occurring worldwide. In Australia, bats are boiling in the sky and the asphalt is literally melting as heatwaves have come through in various parts of the country. In the US, NOAA has […]
Entrepreneurial Editor: How to edit a book more or less gracefully
I have been reading Dorie Clark Entrepreneurial You, which is an amazing collection of hands on advice from podcasting to writing blogs to authoring books. Dorie’s main message is that there are multiple ways that we can contribute and develop our careers. What makes the book fascinating is that much of the advice is grounded […]