Maybe that's it: there are not too few opportunities: there a just too few opportuntites in the UK.

Welcome back! It's always like that after a break - even after a bank holiday. Ease yourself back into it this week and start with a vengence on Monday.

Er - welll, I'll have a go.

The SI system goes like this: milli/micro/nano/pico (0.000/000/000/000)
mi mic na pi

Currently you have 1mM, which is 0.001M. You need to dilute this to pico levels. Dilute by 1000, then 1000 again. This gives you a 1 nanomole solution, or 0.000/000/001M. To get this to 50picoM, you need to dilute this nanoM solution by 20, to give:

0.000/000/000/050, or 50pM.

(I think)

You don't pay the consumables cost - the project grant will earmark separate money for that. When a supervisor applies for funding, s/he will stipulate they they need say 12,000 for wages, 5000 for consumables, 1000 for travel expenses etc.

Well, I've had many occasions where I pick up the phone to call my mother and she was already there - she called me at the same time. But I put it down to either mutual reminders (we both had the TV on, and were reminded of something we said to each other last time we spoke), or just "great minds thinking alike" (or not so great in my case).

But I think my difficulty with some of the people Dawkins met is that they do insist that they have the explanation - and its always God, or "the energy", or something equally intangible. And OK, it may well be - or it may be something rational. We don't know unless we test these things.

Yes, the Guardian preview noted that he was a lot calmer in this programme than in his previous broadcasts. But I think that's the best way: from my own experience certain (not all)cranks love to think that they can wind scientists up. best to stay calm and zap them with your flawless logic! Not that they give two hoots for logic, mind you.

What did you think?

I'm glad to see a debate about superstition on mainstream TV; it's been a while since this was discussed. I know some people think he can be a bit harsh, but I think he's a good counterweight to some of the cranks that get more airtime.

10 minutes is really not long at all: you'll probably find once you start writing the presentation, that you wish you had longer!

Look upon it as a chance to show people what a great research topic you're working on. And you won't get ripped to shreds: most people remember their time as a PhD, and will be nothing but encouraging.

Hey, nice to hear some good news

There's a couple of computing postgrads here in their sixties, so you're a spring chicken!

Not sure what a statement of purpose is, but I worked for a company run by a man who didn't know his a*s from a hole in the ground, and consequently the whole thing went belly up. But I still include it on my CV cos despite the nastiness, I learned a lot about how to manage difficult situations.

I think you've hit the problem on the head there, SeaBird: it's the temporary nature of these positions that causes the likes of Piglet to be doing menial work despite being highly skilled. It doesn't seem like there are any research positions that last longer than 3 years: no government seems willing to earmark money for long-term posts.

Besides keeping the likes of us in limbo, suerly this attitide means that research quality will be compromised? You have to rush through everything in the project in a certain time limit: making errors far more likely, I would think.

May also depend of the very specific nature of the project and the funding body. Some - perhaps most - projects will require a lot of fast thinking and constant modification, but I know one student who was taken on because the project was already outlined in full and they wanted someone who would knuckle down and do what was outlined, rather than try to get a Nobel prize, as it were. It's very variable, I think.

It is a sickener: you probably know (or know of) people that don't make half the effort that you would make given their opportunties.

I wish I had some useful advice, but it seems that you are already doing everything you can.

Bugger what "people" say, Piglet: you know you are doing everything you can. I admire your fortitude.