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Showing posts from 2022

New PI blues I

Because no one reads this blog, these thoughts are safe here. This is a bit of venting, because no one will read it. I need this outlet. I right this infinitely more secure in life than I was a few months ago. There aren't questions of a pay check hanging over my head in the near future at the very least. The value of such security is inestimable from the other side. I am an experimental biologist.  My research needs equipment. My institute has most of the large equipment I need for my research. I was allotted space and an office at the time of joining. The leadership and my colleagues are very supportive of any sort of procurement of small equipment. As soon as I joined the institute I put in indents for a string of things that I know I will need. It has been five months. I have a microwave (gift), a centrifuge and pipette set.  I had hoped to get going in two months. Most of the things I need can reasonably be expected to be kept in stores at a Biology institution. But you f...

Tangible Public Engagement in Science and Research

This is an excerpt of a message I wrote on the 17th August 2022 for the organising team of a recurring meeting of which I am a part. It's an open idea. If anyone here has ideas/comments, let me know. " I have an idea. This is to increase engagement of the public with the science done in Indian Institutions. Simply put, when we have meetings, we could invite science journalists/ writers to attend. Complete confidentiality before public communications would be a prerequisite. This is how I imagine this will work: Science journalists would may attend talks after agreeing not to discuss/publish the talks without prior written consent from speakers. Broad Questions / Interesting findings may be hinted at/ be part of a public communication if all parties agree. The benefits: People get sense of research in a style that they are used to. The academic style does not appear to work, as AWSAR series might suggest. Attracting the next generation of talent to Indian research. Most student...

That’s what I was like fifteen years ago? 😱

 I  just took a slight diversion into the past. Haven't done this in a while, probably because the future has sponged all my energies. I hope faint hearted  others  do not dare. Some old emails that I wrote in my early twenties just horrified me. Those were unhappy times. Some of what I wrote to people was plain nasty. I have written terrible things to friends.  Incidentally, I have zero recollection of doing so. Knowing me and the way I think I now, those were reactions to terrible disappointments of some sort. When I think of why some people do not stay in touch, I imagine they were just bored of my angsty, sorry venting that had nothing to do with them. My memories are of me being a tortured protagonist. Having read three emails, maybe I was a jerk. The question is, do I want to delve into more emails and entirely reassess my memories? Do I have the energy and time right now, and what good would it do me? One option would be to use rules of life that hav...