There and (hopefully) back again was initially an outlet, a product of a feeling of isolation from starting over in a new place and a new field. This blog has been around for over a year and a half now (including its start on Blogger and a short stint at LabSpaces. To be honest, when I made that first post, I don’t think I really expected it to last this long, and I certainly had no inkling of the community I would find.

This blog has developed into a place for me to hash out ideas, to learn more about issues postdocs or scientists in general face, to solicit advice, to share some of my philosophies of science, and–yes–to kvetch occasionally. Here are few of my favorite posts that I think are worth revisiting or for introducing you to my (mis)adventures in science.

The practice of research has evolved over time. There still questions regarding how science has been, is, and should be done and the motivation behind it. For two different perspectives, consider the humanization biomedical research and ethics in research and innovation through the lens of Fritz Haber.

Like most in the field, I want to be recognized for my work as a scientist. Period. Bit by bit, though, I’ve become more aware of what it means to be a woman in science. Sometimes there is an undercurrent that women and minorities in science are second-rate, and the power of the unspoken can be debilitating. Being a woman in science does subconsciously affect how I am perceived–even by myself. I have become conscious of how these perceptions influence my (and other women’s) behavior, such as how we simply don’t ask.

After leaving my first postdoc, I recounted a few lessons learned from the experience on the Benchfly blog. (If you arrived here via a link from a careers feature in some science-y journal about switching postdocs, this post is the reason; it’s also the source of the quote in the opening paragraph.) The Postdoc’s Tale is a collection of links about the postdoc experience in general and from my personal point of view.

But it’s not all seriousness around here. Occasionally I have a little fun, such as my Martha Stewart-inspired list of six things to do in the lab everyday and my coverage of the shock after the 2010 Nobel Prize announcements.

I hope you find something you like!