This is one of those stories that made me go “WOW that’s cool!” I know, I know, I’m a giant nerd. Also, I’m a biologist not a chemist, so I hope I manage to do it justice.
Potatoes Kill Cancer With Electrons from Fukushima? Suspicious Indeed.
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There are no shortage of headlines in the news that make me want to dig deeper and find out the truth. Below I’ve highlighted a few of the past month’s notable offenders as examples of how the headlines that the popular press shares with the public don’t always match up with what the scientific press actually reports. Or, as in most cases, how the report is twisted in such a way to make for a good “story”.
The Arrogant Labmate: Face ’em or Forget ’em?
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Dear Dora,
A new postdoc joined our lab and he walks around like he owns the place- showing no respect to any of the grad students. As a 5th year student, I feel like I deserve some respect, especially since I’ve been working here way longer than he has. Plus, the postdoc has only been a “doc” for about 3 weeks. I want to put him in his place, but I’m not sure what to say or if I’m just being too sensitive.
– mama griz, graduate student
All Work and No Play Makes Katie RSI Prone
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Last night saw Tim Wakefield pitch his 200th major league baseball win. For those of you who just went “who the heck is Tim Wakefield?”, or “baseball?” or “200th ?”, don’t panic, I’m not going to ramble on about how awesome the Red Sox are, or how much I can’t stand A. Rod…oh sorry! I’m losing you…
Your Boss is Incompetent, But Could You Do Any Better?
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It has been said that in the workplace, people rise to their highest level of incompetence. In other words, individuals who are good at their job will likely be promoted, while average performance will be neither rewarded nor punished. So ultimately individuals will advance until they hold a position they’re incapable of properly performing and employees will be forced to deal the consequences of the boss’ inability. In an organization top-heavy with incompetence it should come as no surprise that employees are frustrated. But given the opportunity, could they do any better if they were running the show?
BenchFly Crossword: Back to Basics with Chemistry and Biology
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We thought what better timing than the beginning of the new academic year to brush up on the fundamentals of chemistry and biology. Or perhaps more appropriately – brush off the dust from those fading memories. But let’s be honest, who wants to crack open the textbooks on a Friday afternoon? Nobody. So today, we’re excited to kick off a new series at BenchFly – our Interactive Crossword Puzzle!
Pay It Forward with Good Lab Mojo Checks
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Know of a labmate who’s having trouble getting experiments to work? Or perhaps one who just doesn’t have the exciting ideas they did when they were younger? No, this isn’t a “Low T” ad. Turns out, you know someone who has lost their Lab Mojo. Here’s how to give it back.
Is Grad School or Postdoc Success More Important for My Career?
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Dear Dora,
I’ve had friends who have had very successful graduate careers (big papers, etc) and then, for any number of reasons, their postdocs were not very fruitful. On the other hand, I’ve known people who had what I would consider very average graduate careers and then ended up having tremendously successful postdocs. My question is whether one of those two situations looks better to employers?
– Mark, grad student
Laughter Really Is the Best Medicine
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Suffering from heart disease? Perhaps a daily dose of Monty Python will help. Do I sound crazy? Well, I guess that’s beside the point, so don’t answer that. But really, a good giggle might be just what the doctor should order.
Are You Prepared for the ‘Worst Case Scenario’?
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