How about going back to thinking with your brain rather than your heart (of which you've lost control of).

On the contrary, I believe Matt's response is quite fitting considering the high school mentality we're dealing with here.

It's like high school all over again, with all this talk of who's got a crush on who...

PS. When I said "Say you'll stay..." above, I meant "Say you'll stay at your current dept".

The only problem with staying with the same project at your current university is that there may be political ramifications between the departing supervisor and the dept. The departing supervisor may fight to 'keep' his work when he moves to the other university.

You don't have to stay with him. Say you'll stay and if there's another supervisor in your dept who has similar experience in your field, he or she might take you up.

If not, perhaps you could change the direction of your research if you can find another supervisor with slightly different expertise.

Good work, hope it works out. I've known supervisors like that in my time.

Can't wait to read about all the sordid details when you get around to writing your autobiography.

Wow thanks for the info.

Recently in Australia there was a bit of a hoopla in the media about a retired/sacked politician who was given a hotly contested diplomat posting in Italy. Some people were saying she deserved the job, others said the PM offered her the position so that she would leave (she did a really bad job as an immigration minister). Still others complained that the post should've been given to actual trained diplomats (or, if I recall correctly, "career diplomats"). That was what got me thinking.

I must admit - I have no idea how one embarks upon a career as a diplomat. I think it is because generally speaking many diplomats I have heard of have had non-linear career paths and have various backgrounds.

In what area/field did your ex-girlfriend complete her PhD?

I'm interested to know what inspired this query about lab coats?

Found an interesting blog post by a Harvard economics professor regarding age and academia. The responses to his post provide further insight:

http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/2006/06/age-and-academia.html

phrenology.. *pffft* what kind of crackpot -ology study is that.

I'm amazed you're the only person who's picked that up, I had o.toll convinced it was shampo-ology...!

In layman's terms perhaps.