Keep Your Sanity With a Smile
by
Sometimes it feels like the Science Gods are looking down at us and laughing… not with us, at us. It’s time’s like these when it seems like the easiest thing to do is just join ’em. Here are a few articles that will hopefully lessen the pain…
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You’re Not Alone
- New Year’s Lab-olutions – what’s easier than hitting the gym five days a week? Sticking to this essential lab to-do list
- Elevator Etiquette: The Essentials – just endure an awkward elevator ride? We feel your pain, so spread this around to prevent further offenses
- Who Opened the Thiols? Oh That’s Your Breath?! – unsure of how to tell your labmate that you’d rather bury your head in a bag of freshly autoclaved hazardous waste than have them whisper you a secret? We’ve got your back.
- Could You Be the Worst Labmate in the World? – we hope not, but take this quiz just to be sure…
- Their Research is Sexier than Yours – we’ve all had some form of this phone call with friends or family at some point
- You’re a Grad Student: You Shall Perform Even When Sick – nothing stops the results machine (aka, ‘you’) in your boss’ mind
- Thanks for Making it to Our Meeting- Oh Wait You Didn’t – how many times can one person be stood up for a meeting before they lose their mind?
- The Ombudsman: The Best Conversation that Never Happened – truly independent advice may seem hard to come by, but it’s never far away
- Should There be an Official Language of Lab? – science may be a language of it’s own, but if you can’t communicate beyond it the whole lab could suffer
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LabLibs: Useful Signs for Your Lab
- While You Were Out Notes for Scientists – labmate gone on a 2-hour lunch? Leave one of these on their bench
- Should You Be at My Bench Right Now? (Probably Not) – looking to reduce the amount of riff-raff stopping by your bench unannounced?
- Passive Aggressive Instrument Note – tired of walking up to dirty or broken instruments that nobody takes responsibility for?
- Let Chuck Norris Protect Your Bench – put an end to missing tube racks, pipetmen and buffers once and for all
- Beware of the Graduate Student – like poking a caged animal with a stick, approaching a senior grad student can be dangerous so keep visitors safe with this
- The Qualifying Exam Courtesy Note – labmate off studying for their qualifying exam? Place this ‘courtesy’ note on their bench to let everyone know the situation
- A Message from the Department of Lab Security – this sign is a weirdo forcefield for your lab
- Pay It Forward with Good Lab Mojo Checks – maybe karma’s not real, but do you really want to take that chance? Write a check for good lab mojo today
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Helping You Relax in Lab
- Group Meeting Bingo! – put an end to boring group meetings and seminars by turning your next meeting into an instant BINGO game!
- Crossword: Back to Basics with Chemistry and Biology – been a while since you sat in class? See how much of it stuck with this puzzle
- Crossword: History’s Most Famous Scientists in Two Words – can scientists be famous enough to be recalled with only a two-word clue? Check for yourself
- Lab Techniques Wordsearch: You Can Do Them, But Can You Find Them? – sure “PCR” is easy to spell, but try finding it among hundreds of letters
- How to Survive a Boring Seminar (and Win Some Bets) – whether it’s too early or too boring, keep the seminar interesting with a little wager
- The Lab Desktops – never be caught surfing the web by the boss again with these chemistry and biology specific computer desktops
- Fashion Etiquette for Scientists – a timeless classic. Feel free to pass it along to the guy in your lab wearing black socks and sandals
- BenchFly Football Primer – get the most out of football, even if you’re not a fan, with our football primer explained in science terms
- 2010 Fly Video Awards – all the glitz and glamor of the Oscars without the annoying celebrities
- Chuck Norris, Scientist – in between designing exercise equipment and delivering roundhouse kicks, Chuck Norris found time to become a scientific legend
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Looking for a Product, Card or Gift?
- Three Scientific Products We Need in Lab – think your PI’s lying again? Worried about your PhD defense? These products have got your back
- 3 Products that Would Change Your Life – memory fading? Qualifying exam around the corner? PI breathing down your neck? No longer
- The Hallmark for Scientists – find the perfect card for your scientist friend or family member or print a special edition BenchFly card for free
- Scientists’ Holiday Shopping Guide (soon to be) Endorsed by the NIH – a fool-proof shopping guide in our own language – an NIH grant
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Balancing Life and the Lab
- Life, Laberty and the Pursuit of Happiness – a few essential tips for juggling lab and the rest of your life
- Know When to Fold ‘Em (for the day) – sometimes it’s just better to pack it in for the day than to carry on and ruin the experiment
- Owning a Pet in Grad School? Consider This First – coming home to a little buddy at the end of the day is great, but is it the right thing for both you and the pet?
- If You Don’t Disaster Proof Your Bench Now You’ll Hate Yourself Later – the same backup rules you use at home apply in the lab too. Don’t wait until it’s too late
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