Major Revisions

Grace, Jon, and Jeff have their first (of probably many) conversation(s) on the Science March on Washington and how to better engage outside of the science bubble. The gang also talk about a recent article in Ecosphere, "Academic Productivity in the Field of Ecology," and what it really means. What does productivity look like? How should we compare departments, or should we? Also, how the hell do you say Oikos anyway?

Grace, Jon, and Jeff discuss regime shifts, state changes, basin attractors, and football pronostication.

Grace, Jon, and Jeff examine the meaning and importance of "ecological theory" from the perspectives of different research areas and degrees of interaction with theoretical ecology. The gang also give some highlights and favorite papers from 2016.

Grace, Jon, and Jeff are joined by Blair St. Ledger-Olson, a former congressional staffer, and Dr. Jessica Gephart, from SESYNC, to talk about how scientists can learn about policy, how policy decisions are made, and how scientists can inform policy/policymakers. The role of scientific societies also comes up--and we think you should join!

Grace, Jon, and Jeff talk about ecological uses of LiDAR (lasers!) and banter about the best holiday foods.

Grace, Jon, and Jeff fill in some more information about the process of applying to and getting into graduate school in the sciences with a focus on letters of recommendation, cover letters, and campus visits.

Grace, Jon, and Jeff talk about how to apply to graduate school in the sciences . . . what to consider, where to apply, what the process entails, and what you should really expect.

Grace, Jeff, and Jon wrap-up their discussion on peer review--including the major flaw they encounter when reviewing, how to address revisions to your work, and the future of peer review. The gang also battle with the question of whether undergrads should have to take calculus or if Bob Dylan will ever acknowledge his Nobel Prize.

On this episode of Major Revisions, Grace, Jeff, and Jon discuss part one of the process of academic peer review--including how and where to submit a paper, how to select reviewers, and how to respond to both positive and negative reviews. The gang also talk about weird experiences out in society, how to deal with a spouse who has a cooler study organism than you do, and disagree about dolphins.

Grace, Jeff and Jon revisit the conversation from last episode about the future of ecology and address possible Nobel Prizes for great ideas in ecology. The gang also discuss how Powerball works and the new Bon Iver album.