British scientist Baroness Susan Greenfield has been unceremoniously dumped from her post as head of the British Royal Institution.

The outspoken Greenfield has provided a lot of fodder for UK tabloids over the years, taking shots at videogames (claiming they slow maturity), computers and social websites (they harm children’s brains).

Her denouncement of videogames [URL=http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/09/18/baroness-endorsed-game-2007-now-says-too-much-gaming-harmful]was especially confusing[/URL], in light of her personally endorsing a series of [URL=http://www.mindweavers.com/]brain-training games[/URL].

[URL=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/article6981622.ece]The Times Online[/URL] on Greenfield:

[INDENT]Her unconventional approach to courting publicity, however, has annoyed as many scientists as it attracts, some of whom claim that her talent for self-promotion outweighs her scientific credentials.

[/INDENT]The Royal Institution says Greenfield was sacked due to the fact that it could no longer afford a full-time director in light of recent funding problems.

[URL=http://bengoldacre.posterous.com/a-clarification-why-people-have-been-concerne]Ben Goldacre’s blog[/URL] has more on the Baroness and how exactly she confounded critics over the years.

[url=http://www.gamepolitics.com/2010/01/13/game-hawking-anti-game-scientist-fired]More...[/url]