Here at BenchFly, we understand the holidays represent a serious challenge to scientists. To help, we’ve put together a Holiday gift guide to protect your time, reputation and wallet. To ensure there’s no misunderstanding, we’re putting it into the universal language- an NIH grant…
The Scientist’s Holiday Shopping Guide (Soon to be) Endorsed by the NIH
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Don’t Be Such A Scientist! An Interview with Randy Olson
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As scientists, we should constantly strive to improve our communication skills. We could spend our entire career hoping to master the art on our own through trial-and-error. Or, we could just learn from great storytellers – and what place communicates a story better than Hollywood? What if a tenured professor actually left their job to go to Hollywood to learn how to communicate and then came back to share everything they learned? But that’s probably never happened – or has it?…
How to Make an Old-fashioned
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How many protocols can you follow and then actually drink?! Unless you like the taste of silica gel or Tris buffer, probably not many…
Communicating with Non-scientists: It’s a Ball or Tylenol?
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Effective communication is one of the most important skills required of a successful scientist. We’re all accustomed to the process of writing papers, presenting data and giving talks among colleagues. But once we leave the lab, things can get dicey. Think of the dinner party where you’re the only scientist and someone asks “What do you do?”
If You’ve Got a Tongue, You’re Gonna Love These Cheese Balls
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Pete Schweddy (Alec Baldwin) might have done more than anyone in history to put “holiday balls” on the map when he shared his family’s recipe with the ladies of public radio on Saturday Night Live. Well, more than almost anyone…
The Hallmark for Scientists (Free Card Inside!)
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The holidays are upon us, which means we can all look forward to the painful search for the “perfect card” to give to friends and family. There will be rows of cards packed with lame jokes and terrible puns and none will truly relate to the world we scientists live in. But that’s about to change…
What Makes a Successful Scientist?
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As scientists, we’re as diverse as the DNA that encodes us. Some of us would read papers at the dinner table, if allowed, while others need a break and leave the literature in the lab. Some of us consider an 80-hour week to be normal, while others just don’t consider it at all. Some of us prefer to work in solitude, while others spend half of the day discussing future experimental plans with colleagues.
Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving!
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Today is about much more than spending time on BenchFly! But we’re honored that in between tryptophan-induced comas, we’re able to share a few minutes of the day with you. We want to take this opportunity to say a few words, but we’ll make it quick before Uncle Dave starts secretly digging into the fridge and eating all of your leftovers…
Trick for Calculating Molarity
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Research is filled with numbers- from activation energies to reaction rates. While many of us can artfully dodge many of the gruesome equations associated with quantum mechanics or enzyme kinetics, one basic calculation remains inescapable.
Scary Seminar Seat Selections
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You knew trying to set up the last-minute experiment was going to cost you- it just wasn’t clear how badly… After speed-walking to the seminar room, you quietly enter – the introduction has just started. You carefully scan the crowd for familiar faces and empty seats. Unfortunately, you recognize all of the faces sitting next to each of the remaining five seats. Even the Dali Lama would struggle to remain calm when faced with an hour sitting right next to one of these folks.
