Secrets From The Working World
As everyone knows, I have worked as a science type person ("scientist," at least where I currently work, denotes someone with a bit more education than I) of sorts for a little over 2 years now. In those two years I've made many casual observations about what it really takes to work in the lab. Things that we were never tested on in 300 and 400 level biology and chemistry classes. One would think that mathematics were important - but most everything (conversions, concentrations, reactivity) you studied and memorized in school is written out like a recipe in a real lab. You might think that you'll be called upon to have input on experiments and papers, just like in college - not so. They have smarter, more important, and higher paid people to do that. College fosters (at least in me) an inquisitiveness to find out what experiments are going on around you, or to learn the inner workings of the task at hand. Surprisingly, this behavior gets met with a big mental smack in the working world. Ask that important scientist what they're working on, and more than likely, you'll be treated with an "You wouldn't understand if I told you, underling" attitude. So what, you might ask, is the most important skill one must have to be successful in a lab? Why, it's the ability to write small, legible words on odd surfaces. Honestly. Other than that, we're helper monkeys. But if you can write, in 50 words or less, the gist of a 1000 word experiment description on the side of a test tube, or the corner of a 96 well plate cover. You're golden. Put it on your resume! "Can write on small, oddly shaped surfaces."
That's some valuable knowledge - take it to the bank!
Of Dogs And Men
My second random thought involves my dog. When we first announced to several friends and family members that we were thinking of getting a dog, we were grilled (okay, I was probably the only one that got grilled) about "you know that a dog involves a lot of responsibility." "You have to either take it with you or have someone watch it when you go on vacation." Etc., ad nauseum. Here's the little known secret, that everyone knows...I HAVE KIDS! No one's questioned my abilities to raise children - not that I'm going to be winning dad of the year anytime soon. I never once heard any complaints about my parenting style, nor have I been questioned about what I plan on doing with the two juniors when I go on vacation. But, mention a dog, and everyone seems to think that neglect and abuse are going to be happening in spades.
With that said, so far the dog has been into more trouble than the two children combined. But a week without food, water, or human contact should take care of that. The rest of us will be in sunny Acapulco anyway.
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6 comments:
What put you in such a bad mood?
I wasn't in a bad mood - it's all supposed to be tongue in cheek. Witty sarcasm.
Here's a deep thought for you;
At first I thought, if I were Superman, a perfect secret identity would be "Clark Kent, Dentist," because you could save money on tooth X-rays. But then I thought, if a patient said, "How's my back tooth?" and you just looked at it with your X-ray vision and said, "Oh it's okay," then the patient would probably say, "Aren't you going to take an X-ray, stupid?" and you'd say, "Aw screw you, get outta here," and then he probably wouldn't even pay his bill.
So what IS in the test tubes?
Cells. Lots and lots of cells. One can only label so many test tubes in a day before they get to feeling that there most important lab skill involves use of Sharpies.
If I asked you to tell me, in 3 min, how to operate the cell sorter, I doubt it would take very well. That said, there is no reason why someone can't say why they are sorting particular populations of cells and what they are doing with them.
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