November 30, 2010

Timing.

I just got back from Thanksgiving weekend at my parents. I spent 15 hours in a car on the way back and have been kind of out of it so far this week. I keep finding that it's hard to focus on lots of things at once, which is sort of required to work in a lab, but isn't good for my efficiency- I prefer one thing at a time that requires my full attention. I have been slowly getting organized and am generating things I need to do experiments, but the lab is a distracting environment to be in just now. Going to try and take a deep breath and plunge along. 

November 22, 2010

A few weeks later....

OK, so I've neglected my blog...cardinal rule 1 of blogging I hear is to keep posting consistently/changing content/keeping it interesting..let's see if I can make a habit of that. 

My last post was how I'm feeling about science as an industry in 2010 and the thoughts about it still cause me a great deal of stress. I have made some slow progress in my actual research after dealing with a setback of an insect infestation where we as a department had to throw out a lot of plants....but some progress, some good experiments designed at least, hopefully I can carry them out soon. So I guess I'm forging ahead despite the seemingly grim realities. I know a few experiments that are to come, but still have no idea about my longer future. 
Here's a short "This I believe" essay by Anthony Fauci (it has a lot of the reasons I like science in it), one of those "rock star" scientists- I find what he wrote interesting..especially that part about striving for excellence and having constant low grade anxiety (to be sure, mine seems ratcheted up more than his):


OK, signing off from postdoc street. Til next time.