[Island Chris]

I finally wrote my password down in the notebook I am using. I talked to the neighbor who is a research biologist. We had brought the compost pile by to trick or treat (really!). We brought up that my lovely daughter could volunteer for her, but at a much higher level than before. The biologist mentioned that the process to see a manuscript through to publication essentially tore any joy that there had been in the project.

Foggy here on the island. I have taken up mountain biking. My life is going through a major change.

Chris

[Skywise]

(11-05-2015, 11:34 AM)Island Chris Wrote: I finally wrote my password down in the notebook I am using. I talked to the neighbor who is a research biologist. We had brought the compost pile by to trick or treat (really!). We brought up that my lovely daughter could volunteer for her, but at a much higher level than before. The biologist mentioned that the process to see a manuscript through to publication essentially tore any joy that there had been in the project.

Foggy here on the island. I have taken up mountain biking. My life is going through a major change.

Chris

As you know I am a science enthusiast. At one time I was thinking maybe I should make it something more. Lots of school for sure. But when I learned that in many sciences you spend most of your time begging for funding and fighting for publication, I lost interest. The notion of scientists working in labs with lots of high tech equipment or doing research in the field isn't quite true. Yes, they do that, but it seems you're more of a paper pusher/administrator than anything else. No thanks.

I'd rather be a technician of some kind. I like to actually DO things - tinker with stuff, make things go *BOOM*, build things, etc....

I have no degrees or certs (one year of electronics engineering, though) and have been giving thought to going back to school for _something_. Problem is, for what? Seems by the time you find something that's in demand then go through school, it's no longer in demand.

I'd really like to work for myself if I can find the right thing, but it takes a lot of resources to do that.

Brian

[Roger Hunter]

(11-09-2015, 12:55 AM)Skywise Wrote: You said;

I'd rather be a technician of some kind. I like to actually DO things - tinker with stuff, make things go *BOOM*, build things, etc....

I have no degrees or certs (one year of electronics engineering, though) and have been giving thought to going back to school for _something_. Problem is, for what? Seems by the time you find something that's in demand then go through school, it's no longer in demand.

I'd really like to work for myself if I can find the right thing, but it takes a lot of resources to do that.
Depends on what you do.
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I said;

 One of my sons wife started a catering business and is doing very well with it. All out of her house.

You could do computer repair or contract programming the same way. No investment needed.

Roger

[Island Chris]

Brian,
I tend to be negative. There are research professors who teach and have grad students and also do research. And, there are research scientists like me who are not professors, and do not teach. The first group generally get 9 months of salary, and can try and raise summer salary from grants. I get zero months of fixed salary: 100% comes from grants. I have managed to build up 9 years of service in my 21 years post-Ph.D. which means I have been getting 40% salary. But the rate is high enough that I probably make more $ than a cashier at Walmart.

You were pretty harsh on what we do. I do a lot of boring stuff, but not  much administration. And, I work with scientists who travel the world doing field geology. There are some cool things that I did that I enjoy.

My favorites are:
brainstorming (discussing science for an hour or more to come up with or focus ideas)
Interpretation (for me, of seismic reflection data).

I've been to Antarctica, Malawi, Turkey (a few times), Italy (a few times), Hispaniola (offshore, except for a meeting), New Zealand (a few times). My wife has been to Easter Island 5 times. While the travel sounds great, I actually do not like to travel: I'd be very happy to almost never leave southern New England. This is where I belong. In the late 80s/early 90s I would go out to the islands off of Santa Barbara for field geology, as well as a bit in the National Forest north of Santa Barbara. I liked that. It was not funded, but it was very inexpensive.

Chris

[Skywise]

(11-09-2015, 08:37 PM)Island Chris Wrote: You were pretty harsh on what we do.

Sorry to sound that way. It's not that I think what is done is bad. It's a necessary part of the program. Every type of work has it's 'admin' requirements. It's a matter of deciding if the type of admin and how much there is is appropriate for one's personal tastes. Some folks like it, hence they're professional administrators.

For me, I don't want the paper pushing to be so much that it takes away from the joy of the work itself. And that level is different for everybody.

Brian