To say email changed the way we communicate is like saying Saturday morning group meeting is a bad idea – it’s obvious. For most of us, email (including messaging through Facebook and related sites) is the reason we write with the penmanship of a second-grader. (For those born after 1990, “writing” means holding a pen in your hand and physically creating the letters and words on a piece of paper that would then be mailed to the recipient. “Mail” means…) Since it’s inception, people have debated the appropriateness of sending an email versus a physical letter for a range of life’s occasions. In our professional lives we fear choosing the wrong vehicle will put an end to our candidacy before our merits are even considered. Accordingly, one of the most common questions we receive from the lab is whether we should contact potential postdoctoral advisors by email or a traditional letter.
Flyceum: Your Science. Your Career.
We’re following in the tradition of open discussions among scientists that has resulted in important advances in both science and society.
How to Contact Potential Postdoctoral Advisors: Email vs. Snail Mail
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Facebook Updates: The Good, The Bad, and the Vague
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One of my biggest pet peeves is “vague-booking”. You know, when people change their Facebook status to read “sigh” or “really?” or “I can’t believe that just happened :(“. Vague with a capital “V”. I know that the author of these atrocities just wants someone to ask them what happened, or express concern that they had a tough day, but my response is the exact opposite. To put it gently, I start to dislike the vague-booker.
Dear Boss: I Want to Graduate. Let’s Talk.
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Dear Dora,
What’s the best way to get the conversation going about graduation dates with your PI?
– Henry, grad student
Scared of Dropping the Soap? Worry No More.
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I realize that my audience here at BenchFly probably doesn’t contain a large number of prisoners, but I never claimed to cater to the majority. Also, you never know when you might end up incarcerated (wrongfully, obviously), so having a few science-y tricks up your sleeve is not a bad idea. And while this may not be a recipe for breaking out by dissolving the bars to your cell, it could make life on the inside a little better.
Hiring the PI’s Spouse and the Effect on Lab Morale
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“In group meeting today, I’d like to welcome a new member to our group, Agent Zero.”
“Agent Zero?!” You whisper, leaning over to a labmate sitting next to you.
“What are you talking about? He said ‘Dr. McIntyre’ – it’s his wife.”
“Then why does she keep turning her head and covertly talking into her shirt sleeve?”
“That’s called covering your mouth when you cough. By the way, take notes on that one.”
“Something’s going on here.”
“Yeah, you need to step away from the solvents before coming to group meeting.”
My Boss’ Spouse: A Spy or Civilian in Lab?
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Dear Dora,
My PIs wife just started working in the lab and it’s made things really awkward since everyone assumes she’s a spy for the boss. Is there anything we can do?
– biokid, graduate student
Happy Holidays! See You in 2012!
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(click image for a closer view)
Thanks for making 2011 a great year! We’re going to step out of the lab for the next week to recharge our batteries and to prepare for a number of big announcements we have prepared for 2012! Have a happy holiday season and we’ll see you in the new year!
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Increase Your Lab Efficiency (and Make Henry Ford Proud)
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Becoming more efficient as a scientist is constant struggle. This post will touch upon a couple of methods to help increase productivity that only take a few minutes to setup, but can pay serious dividends – standardization and delegation. While you may not find yourself in this exact situation, hopefully there is something you can take away. If you have any tips, tricks or systems of your own you’d like to share feel free to leave a comment.
Bullying in Lab: Are PIs Guilty?
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Dear Dora,
With all of the talk about kids getting bullied in school these days, do you think the way some PIs treat their students would be characterized as bullying in lab?
-Den, postdoc
A Social Network for Food: Why Won’t Vanilla Friend Garlic?
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Having a well-stocked pantry has never been something I’ve had, a fact that is brought home to me every time I’m in my mum’s kitchen. She reaches into her baking cupboard and pulls out all sorts of spices and powders and sugars, and half an hour later has created a cake. Me, on the other hand? Well, I have half a bag of flour, a can of Dominoes granulated sugar, and some brand new baking powder and vanilla extract that I had to run out to the store and buy so I could attempt a batch of cupcakes. By the end of the (two-hour) baking process I had wasted one batch of batter due to forgetting to add the egg before the flour, covered myself and the countertop in said flour, and generated nine slightly over-cooked cupcakes.
