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Advice for Your Life in Science | BenchFly

Can Positive Thinking Affect Your Experiments?

Scientists are a notoriously critical bunch.  We have to be, it’s part of our job.  Yet, our dependence on “seeing the data” often makes us among the more skeptical members of society, as we have a tendency to dismiss that which cannot be explained through a logical mechanism.  But are these instincts actually preventing us from becoming better scientists?

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The Only Internet Password Protection You Need

With “Twitter hacking” in the news recently, it’s a good time to reflect on a key question regarding our own computer security:  How comfortable are you with your current Internet password protection strategy?  Does it cause you undue stress to even think about how vulnerable you are to hackers who may steal your passwords and break into every aspect of your life?

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Another One Bites the Dust: Rinderpest Eradicated

Many of the largest threats to human health are caused by microscopic viruses. Thousands of people die each year from these vicious and diverse entities. Some notable examples include HIV, influenza, Ebola, West Nile…the list goes on. But viruses can also inflict misery on human beings by attacking the animals we farm for food.

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Lab Funding Outlook: Time to Move Forward or Pull the Ripcord?

Last week’s poll on the future of lab funding was less than positive.  In fact, the optimists must have been busy congratulating eachother on future successes because it seems they missed the poll altogether.  In truth, a negative forecast is to be expected from time to time in a naturally cyclic economy, so the results themselves should not be cause for alarm.  However, responsible scientists – looking at the data – may conclude otherwise.

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Wunderlist Task Management: Give Your Brain a Present

Damn, what was I supposed to do today?  It was important – that much I can remember.  Was it ‘procrastinate instead of preparing for group meeting’?  Nope, did that.  ‘Take a two hour lunch because it’s Friday’?  Did that, too.  Oh yeah!  I was going to make a to-do list…

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Take My Figure Off of Your Poster…Or Else.

Dear Dora: take my figure off of your posterDear Dora,

A labmate is attending a conference and I just found out that they’ve included one of my main figures in their poster, without my permission. There is a long history between us, which is why they didn’t ask and our PI is not doing anything to resolve the situation.  Can I make them remove my figure from the poster?

-Anonymous, grad student

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Robin’s ‘Rita: A Bubbly Twist on a Flat Classic

We’ve all heard the old saying “Liquor then beer, you’re in the clear; beer then liquor, never sicker.”  But what about beer in liquor?  Turns out, the answer is “happy quicker!”  This weekend the summer season officially kicks off and what better excuse to take a break from the bench than to celebrate with a summer classic – the margarita.

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Scientists Just Wanna Have Fun (Like Uncaged Monkeys)

I’m going to break with tradition this week and talk about scientists rather than science. I know, change is hard, but it’ll be fun!

Earlier this month a band of intrepid rock-star scientists and comedians set out on a tour of the UK to talk about science to live audiences. Calling themselves the Uncaged Monkeys, Robin Ince, Brian Cox, Ben Goldacre, Simon Singh, and Helen Arney have been all over the place. They’ve packed theatres from London to Glasgow, Newcastle to Oxford. Not only have they educated, they have entertained, and it’s the entertainment part that’s so crucial to science communication these days. Lose someone’s attention and you’re likely to lose it forever into the dark abyss of the ubiquitous smartphone.

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Lab Funding: What Does the Future Hold?

lab fundingThese days it seems the only thing lower than the grant funding line is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s approval rating.  In 2010, many of the National Institutes of Health agencies exhibited funding lines around the 8th percentile.  Ouch.  For many of us, the grant writing process has become an exercise in futility – damaging our motivation as significantly as our pocketbook.

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How to Tell on Someone Like an Adult

Dear Dora: Tell on someone like an adultDear Dora,

There’s one member of our lab that everyone has a major problem with, but our PI seems to think this person is a perfectly reasonable labmate.  It’s beyond frustrating- how can we communicate to the PI the trouble this person is causing without looking like immature children telling on someone?

– AAH!, grad student

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