Weird and Wonderful

Shaking Up Scientific Publishing: eLife Announces Controversial New Publishing Plan

In October 2022, the nonprofit life sciences journal eLife announced a radical new model for scientific publishing. In conventional journals, only the final version of an accepted research article sees the light of day. Peer review – the essential process of vetting by other experts in the field to maintain the quality and credibility of scientific practice – is mostly kept behind the scenes.

In their new model, eLife will no longer ‘accept’ or ‘reject’ articles which have been through peer review, instead publishing every article sent for review along with reviewers’ comments. Authors can choose to address these concerns – or not. This move sparked controversy amongst the scientific community. Many researchers praised the shift towards open science and transparent publishing. Others expressed concerns over biases imposed by the journal’s editors who would now be the sole gatekeepers of work selected for publication, or the possibility that bad science could make it to the public eye with the endorsement of being called ‘peer-reviewed’.

According to eLife’s Editor-in-Chief Michael Eisen, “the future of science publishing is author directed publishing (preprints) combined with multifaceted, ongoing, public post-publication peer review.” Scientific publishing is a huge yet flawed industry, and although progress is being made towards a fairer system for scientists, only time will tell whether eLife’s bold experiment will drive science in the right direction. HS

Social Sciencists: Our Facourite Online Influencers

When you picture an Instagram influencer, a lab-coated, safetyspec-wearing scientist may not come to mind. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent lockdowns triggered an increase in the use of “distance learning” and social media for both educational and communication purposes. Instagram, with over one billion users, provides the perfect platform to communicate science and inspire the next generation of researchers. Here are three of our favourite science Instagram accounts to keep you occupied on your morning commute. Best for…

PhD motivation: @Paigeinscience

Paige White provides helpful tips on how to navigate life as a new PhD student. If you want to avoid academic burnout, perfect your scientific writing or improve productivity, this is the account for you.

Career advice: @Soph.talks.science

Dr Sophie Milbourne is a former stem cell biologist turned science communicator. Her account Soph.talks.science features a weekly roundup of the latest science communication opportunities and courses - great for any aspiring science communication professionals.

Photography: @natgeo

With over 200 million followers, National Geographic is the world’s top non-celebrity Instagram account. Whether it be the first view of an eclipse or a tiger bathing in a river, @natgeo features an abundance of breathtaking imagery and information about the natural world. Science Instagram accounts can be both informative and inspiring. Why not incorporate Instagram into your daily life as a scientist? Whether you’re snapping a colourful experiment, taking a selfie on a field trip or recording a timelapse of your day in the lab…you could be the next Influencer! LB

Diabolically Ironclad

Weird and Wonderful Authors:

HS - Holly Smith

LB - Libby Brown

TW - Tasmin Wood

Artwork by Josh Langfield.

Beetles may be small but some are much tougher than they look. The spooky-looking diabolical ironclad beetle can even survive being run over by a car. These impressive insects are part of the sub-family of beetles known as Zopherinae and their distinctive wing casings, called elytra, can resist up to 149 Newtons of force. Their strength has even influenced the ways we humans create materials and engineer joints in complex structures.

The sutures of these beetles are of particular interest. Sutures are found on the inner edges of both wing cases and shaped like stamp perforations which interlock to join the two elytra together. These sutures dissipate any external pressure across the wing casings, so that no region of the elytra is particularly prone to stress. The wing casings can therefore resist much higher forces before fracturing.

In addition to linkages, the elytra consist of laminated structures. Under tension these structures delaminate, dissipating energy. So, if pressure on the wing cases is great enough to break them, then the laminated microstructures reduce further impact by preventing fissures at the edges. Instead of the elytra disconnecting, their connecting sutures swell and lock them together. This way, when ironclad beetles do break, their elytral connection is reinforced and protects more vulnerable internal structures. Sounds like we puny humans have a lot to learn. TW