News That Stays News

Hiding in plain sight July 25, 2018

One of my biggest concerns at the start of this summer was how I was going to get enough alone time on a station that would be occupied by, at minimum, thirty or so other people the entire time. The answer turned out to be surprisingly simple: hang out in the lab. In general, people seem to assume that if you’re sitting in the lab in front of a computer, you must be working on Very Important Science Stuff and shouldn’t be bothered. Presto: instant peace and quiet!

Even better, my experiments need to run undisturbed for 50 minutes at a stretch, so I can often relax for a bit while still collecting data for my project. Those 50 minute windows have also made a good excuse to avoid long meals and the flitting conversations that are par for the course when you have a changing cast of 6 people all talking to each other. I think it’s safe to say I’ll make it through the last week without going bonkers. But I am definitely looking forward to being alone for a few days between leaving here and arriving in New Orleans for a conference.