My answer to the original question is pretty easy. Since women seem to go for one or more of money, looks, and status, and I (1) am a PhD student, so have none, (2) am on antidepressants which make me look bloated and fat, and (3) am a student, I don't think I'm likely to be troubled by the potential pitfalls of dating while doing a PhD, sadly. :-(

Maybe my reply doesn't count, because I'm not an academic with a lot of paperwork and tight deadlines to work to, but if someone asked me to run the rule over my work, especially if they'd cited me and it would increase my citation count, I'd be pretty flattered. :)

Hey CatCat,

I agree 100% with the other posters - while the guy you're going to reject won't be too happy, he'll get over it. That's life, and you have to do what's best for you. If he's professional, it shouldn't affect future collaborations. Perhaps you could explain, as and when necessary, the situation to your new supervisor, just to let him know what's happened, and that you hope it won't affect things with this other lab. This sort of thing happens all the time though, and if this is the worst thing that ever happens to him in academia, he's not doing too badly at all!

Trying for a baby sounds like great fun - as long as it doesn't end in conception, I'm a big fan!!

Wow, a simple but complex question. Here's a list of my reasons, in no particular order.

1. To be at the cutting edge of scientific discovery.
2. To be able to work with intellectual people who share a common interest.
3. To further my science career.
4. To give me better qualifications in my area.
5. To allow me the chance to escape the UK.
6. I love playing with all the gadgets I get to use in the lab - it's like cooking, but instead of getting to taste something for 5 minutes, you get data which very few others in the world have.
7. The chance to engage in something which is motivated by a desire for knowledge, and not just a desire to please shareholders.
8. I'll get to be called "doctor". (that's the least important, but just the cherry on the icing on the cake)

Dispatcher, the BNP have approximately zero chance of winning a seat. This is because of the increasing appeal of the Lib Dems as a "not one of the main two" party, their own crap campaign, and the fact that they get higher figures in Euro elections, where one issue tends to dominate (I should know, I vote UKIP for Euro elections). End result - no seat for Nasty Nick.

Your PhD is about networking? Or the life and times of John Prescott??!

John Prescott went to Ruskin College in Oxford, which isn't officially part of Oxford Uni, but does, in fact, share several facilities, links, and so on. I suppose it's not about the education that going to the places gives you, but about the networking.

I'm not sure why people think it's funny to attack Cameron about his Eton/Oxford past.  Clegg went to Westminster School, which is one of the top PRIVATE schools in the country, and from there to Cambridge. Vince Cable went to Cambridge, where he was President of the Cambridge Union.  Blair went to Fettes, an INDEPENDENT school in Edinburgh, and then to Oxford.

I'd like to see how the lefties would react if people came out and called people "Common scum" based on their background, or the way they speak.

Still, let's not let facts get in the way of smearing the Conservatives, eh?

As far as I know, the vast majority of universities in the UK register their new students as MPhil students for the first year, after which they have some kind of transfer thesis/essay/viva, and only then are they registered as PhD students. Assuming this is the case with you, you would just have to show that you'd completed the current work satisfactorily, and instead of transferring to PhD, you'd just take your MPhil away with you. Perhaps it would be best to speak to your university's postgrad department about this though, in case it differs.

"howed himself up in the discussion of European issues, and let NC get in what was for me the quote of the day: "How does it help anyone... to join together with a bunch of nutters, anti-semites, people who've denied climate change exists, homophobes?"

The most telling line of the night. Clegg is getting a bit too big for his boots. The Movement for European Conservatives and Reformists is not, and has never been, composed of nutters, homophobes, or anti-semites. This is just a popular lefty tactic of smearing anyone you disagree with. Hence overuse of the word racist, homophobe, islamophobe etc. These should be saved for real far right parties such as the BNP. Further, grouping people who "deny" climate change (look at how he's trying to link holocaust DENIAL with climate change DENIAL) with the the others is totally ridiculous.

Cameron showed his strength on foreign affairs, especually the EU, last night. With either of the other two in charge, we'll just be bossed around by France and Germany, who only follow EU rules when it suits them.

Just don't let those 100 employees find out where you live!

I've just realised that my username might give me away. Although I've never posted anything which I wouldn't want to be identified with, just in case I post grumbles in the future, could someone please tell me how to change my username?

Thanks...

Sneaks, you're right about juducial appointments. Furthermore, have you ever noticed that "independent inquiries" are usually chaired by someone of the PM's choosing? Hence you end up with whitewashes as with the Kelly inquiry.

So my question is, who the hell do you vote for? I abhor Labour, Tories are my usual party but I can't stand Cameron, Lib Dems want nuclear disarmament to be unilateral, and will integrate us more with the EU, UKIP are too small to have an impact. So who else is there???!

I have about 175, although I've only been going 6 months, and am in the masters years of a 1+3 PhD...