AsianScientist (Jul. 8, 2016) – Sometimes, you really do have to admit to yourself that making a career of science is not always an enjoyable experience. Long hours, little job security, low income relative to education level… the list goes on. But at the same time, when something amazing happens, it makes everything totally worth it.
For example, my past week was terrible. The machine was down for two days causing a backlog of experiments, and then—BOOM! The flu that had been going around the lab finally hit me. NOOOO! I didn’t have time to be sick!
When I did manage to drag myself in to work, I let out a big sigh of despair and began the long-delayed experiment. That sigh turned into a groan as my test shots looked as though the preparation had failed. But oh well, the machine was blocked for me so I pressed start and went home to hibernate.
I wasn’t particularly brimming with anticipation when opening the measurement file the next morning, but gradually, oh so gradually, it dawned on me—THE EXPERIMENT WORKED!!! And it had actually worked beautifully! Then, for some reason, there was a lot of cake!!!
My joy was a like a sunbeam, spreading warmth and happiness on whoever it touched. It almost made the misery of being ill and having the machine down worth it. Almost.
So what else are the pleasures of scientific life? Oh gosh, where to start?
Category 1: Personal achievements
First things first, here’s a list that have no doubt brought or will bring you great, great joy!
- You were selected for your project of choice
- Your experiment worked—and so did the repeat experiment
- Your project worked
- You finished your degree/PhD
- You aced your presentation
- You aced your first lecture
- You taught a subject
- You received positive student feedback
- You learned a new technique
- You developed a new technique
- You wrote your technique as a protocol that is now being used by multiple labs
- Your paper was accepted
- You have been a first author
- You have been a last author
- Your paper was cited
- Your work was covered by the wider press
- Your grant was accepted
- Your next few grants were accepted
- You have tenure
- You made full professor
- You have neither tenure nor a full professorship, but you’re nevertheless satisfied with your body of work
Category 2: Other people in your science life
As great as it is to recognize your own achievements in your field, you’ve probably got lots of friends and colleagues who are also scientists with their own challenges—challenges that need to be celebrated when they’re overcome!
- The new student learned an established lab technique
- The student was able to successfully replicate the technique without supervision
- The student successfully graduated
- The student is now your friend and collaborator
- Being able to debate different issues and ideas with your friends/collaborators and being able to trust their perspective
- You desperately need something that you can’t acquire on your own or within a certain time frame but your friends/collaborators help you plug that hole
- You repay your friend’s kindness, thereby creating a self-perpetuating circle of joy between you and your friend/collaborator
- You read a paper that is genuinely exciting to you or your field
- That paper was written by someone you know
- That paper was written by someone you consider a friend
- A friend in a completely unrelated field publishes a paper
- A friend in a completely unrelated field invents something
- You’re not really sure what the invention does but you accept that it’s awesome
- You are really sure what the invention does and it IS awesome!
- You have a great relationship with a sales representative and they give you special deals
- Your friend/collaborator has a great relationship with a sales representative and their special deal can be extended to you
Category 3: Science life in general
Sometimes the joy isn’t even related to you and your work or your friends and their work. Sometimes, it’s just a state of being.
- The bliss of your first sip of coffee in the morning
- The bliss of a colleague making the morning coffee and making enough for it to go around
- The bliss of a colleague making extra food and bringing it in to work for everyone to share
- The bliss of multiple colleagues making extra food and bringing it in to work for everyone to share
- There’s free food and drinks in your department
- Free stuff in general
- When a significant scientific event occurs or finding is reported (e.g., an eclipse, confirmation of a theory)
- When bizarre scientific finding are reported which vaguely supports your theories about your lifestyle (e.g., that eating chocolate is associated with improved cognition, meaning that that 3 pm chocolate break is helping)
- You’ve had a complete nerdgasm while indulging in some nerd tourism
- You’re not ashamed of your nerdgasm
- You shared your experience with your colleagues and they also had a nerdgasm
- You know exactly what I mean when I use the word ‘nerdgasm’ and it makes you smile
So remember, even though there are many moments of misery in your scientific life, there will be plenty of opportunities to also say “YAY.” Happy researching, everyone!
This article is from a monthly column called The Sometimes Serious Scientist. Click here to see the other articles in this series.
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Source: Asian Scientist Magazine; Photo: Shutterstock.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.