Happy Darwin Day!

In case you missed it (really, where’ve you been?), today is the 200^th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth. This year is also the 150th anniversary of the publication of his most famous book, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life.

The scientific status of evolution by natural selection is solid and the evidence is overwhelming. A quick Web of Science search on ‘natural selection’ comes back with over 8,000 results. However, the public status of evolution by natural selection remains weak. CNN sums it up…

“The most recent Gallup poll on the issue, conducted in May, found that only 14 percent of Americans believe that humans developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life. Forty-four percent believe that God created human beings almost overnight within the past 10,000 years, and another 36 percent believe that God guided humans' evolution from animals over a much longer period of time.”

That 44% is most disturbing to me, although dinos at the nativity would make an awesome Xmas blockbuster.

I think this number is mostly based on misunderstanding of science compounded by a misunderstanding of the evidence for evolution by natural selection. So, how do you decrease that number? Who should be doing it? Should we bother? Personally, I’ve encountered people who are stubborn in their beliefs and shut down any conversation before it starts. This sort of thing frustrates me and results in me not wanting to deal with the issue. I can do my science, go along my way and leave well enough alone. What good does that do? 

I don’t really have any good answers today except for thinking that my involvement with public education about evolution could extend past arguing with drunks in bars.... I mean, I should do more to communicate science in general in addition to my usual focus on my own research. If as Dobzhansky said, "nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution," then any of us even remotely tied to biology should have a good understanding of the subject of evolution. Luckily, we’ll be celebrating Darwin and his big book all year so I have time to post more in depth about various aspects of this issue.

Most of my readers (the few I have, thanks for stopping by, by the way!) are scientists (and my mom) so I don’t want to beat a dead…finch, I guess. If you feel particularly yea or nay about my posting more detailed posts on this- please let me know in the comments!  

Either way, happy birthday, Charles!

Current difficulties

My postdoc research is pretty far removed from anything I’ve done before. It is really exciting, but also really difficult. I have no background in the actual work and am trying to read as much as possible and talk to as many people to get my head around it all. It doesn’t help that I am working somewhat backwards. I was given last years’ data and a plan for me to write it up before my field season starts. It is hard to understand data that I didn’t collect. Last week  I had to ask someone exactly what the numbers in the dataset actually were*. The data itself isn’t the best either. Bah.

Given that I don’t know squat, I’ve been feeling like very much the impostor lately. In the past, I’ve dealt with general feelings of not (ever) being good enough. I never really thought I ‘fooled’ anybody to progress in my career or worried about being ‘exposed’ but certainly dismiss my accomplishments. 

What is different is that I can’t help but feel like an impostor because of other peoples’ assumptions about me. Since day one, others in the department have taken for granted that I am an expert in this area and technique. This assumption combined with my extreme lack of knowledge is not a good mix. Any question I ask is met with, ‘Well you know some random tiny detail about math…blah blah blah.’ The slightly furrowed brows or pauses when I answer ‘uhhh, what’s that again?’ are starting to get to me. It is like I finally DID get exposed as an imposter when I never, ever claimed to be an expert in this area in the first place!

What bugs me most is that playing so much catch up in my new area has sucked me into this hole of self doubt in my older work. My dissertation chapters have sat for a month. I’ve read them over, had others read them over and gotten the go ahead from my PhD advisor but I’m just not sure they are submission quality anymore. No real reason why.

I’m not sure how to shake myself out of it but I'm going to just try to continue making progress with continued reading, working towards small goals in the research each day, continuing to ask the questions I need to – no matter how basic, and finally get that research seminar in the department done soon so these peeps know what my background really is! 

 

*In my defense, we present data at a percentage. There are values that are over 100 and less than 0. Hence, my confusion.

Inspiration

A big thanks to ScienceGirl, who was kind enough to pass along an Inspiration Award.

The rules are as follows:

• Put the logo of the award (above) on your blog if you can make it work with your format.
  

• Link to the person from whom you received the award.


• Nominate seven or more blogs. (Or less, if you please). 


• Put the links of those blogs on your blog.


• Leave a message on their blogs to tell them.

I nominate: 

Ethidium Bromide

Psych PostDoc

Jenny F. Scientist

Eugenie

All very inspiring ladies doing things like gettin papers submitted, rocking the GRE, finishing a thesis (with a baby on the way) and managing to balance lab life with other passions that many of us just give up instead! 

And I Remember Every Kiss

I love the music memes. I wasn't called out, but share a lot of music with Cath. Her style of tagging works for me so consider yourself tagged if you have any of these songs in your music library!

RULES:
a) Put your MP3 player, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle
b) For each question (capitalised), press the next button to get your answer.
c) YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS
d) Tag at least 5 people
e) Everyone tagged has to do the same thing (no they don't, actually)
f) Have Fun! (Step f is not required)

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY?
The Sound of Fear (Eels)

Ummmm...no one would ever say that exact phrase ever.

2. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Simple Things (Belle & Sebastian)

I like that one

3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Souvenirs (Architecture in Helsinki)

Presents are nice but wouldn't determine my liking someone

4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Don't Let me Down (Beatles)

I have a lot to do today but it's 1:45 pm and I am still in my pj's

5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Everybody's Talking at Me (Harry Nilsson, although it really comes up at Track 11 on a mix)

Are those everybody's students?

6. WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?
Punch and Judy (Elliott Smith)

Not into punching and don't know anyone named Judy but that isn't really what the song is about

7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
In My Place (Coldplay)

I move around a lot so am usually in a different place

8. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
I Was Meant for the Stage (The Decemberists)

Possibly when I was younger. I still like an audience...

9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Slow Down (Bowerbirds)

I do have a lead foot

10. WHAT IS 2 + 2?
Time After Time (cover from Napoleon Dynamite soundtrack by Sparkle Horse)

So, 4 o clock?

11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits (Magnetic Fields)

We're clear that the Grackle is my best friend right? 

12. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Prisstina (Sleater Kinney)

'She will go to the head of the class

And all you boys need to get a late pass
'Cause she'll leave those dull lads behind
Yeah that girl is ahead of her time'

13. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Nachtwort (Albert Magelsdorff)

I don't speak German but I don't think that works really...

14. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Sail to the Moon (Brush the Cobwebs Out of the Sky) Radiohead

Sounds like a lovely idea

15. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Crush in the Ghetto (Jolie Holland)

Nope, didn't happen.

16. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Tears of Joy (Robert Randolf and the Family Band)

Let's hope not! iTunes is cruel.

17. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Now Mary (White Stripes)

?????

18. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?

Earthquake Weather (Beck)

Sounds like something we should all be afraid of

19. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Six White Horses (Johnny Cash)

Cryptic because it is a secret!

20. WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
My Tiger My Heart (Boy Least Likely To)
I don't have to want them- Grackle and our tiny tigers are currently with me in Postdoc City!

21. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Bees (Animal Collective)
They are all really busy...

22. WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
And I Remember Every Kiss (Jens Lekman)

A first

Today represents another new, sucky thing about long-distance relationships. 

This is the first time in 5 years that I haven't been around on the Grackle's birthday. Even when doing field work 3000 miles away, I managed to get back for a Sunday B-day! We aren't usually into big birthday celebrations....but it is always nice to have a reason for a lovely dinner or date night.  

Tonight he'll be off to dinner and watching Lost with friends and I'm sure it will be quite the celebration*. As for me, internet has been successfully installed in my abode so I have blogs to catch up on** and about 5 hours of Lost to watch for myself.

Since my mind is elsewhere anyways, it may as well get caught up in some decent tv... 

 

*Two of my ex-labmates also celebrate their birthdays tomorrow. 

** Yay!!!!

And about the weather...

As a transplant from the Midwest to the mid-Atlantic region, this is a riot. And completely true.

Big props to the Buffalo-born Sneks for originally posting this.... 

Re: How to choose a postdoc

Recently*, there was a post and discussion over at Dr. Isis (written by Comrade PhysioProf) about how to choose a postdoc position.

I just thought I'd share where my postdoc fits in with some of the issues he raised.

1) Early vs. Later stage PI. Ruby-throated Hummingbird is early-ish in her career and hoping to go up for tenure next fall. That will depend partially on how much I can get done for her. As CPP pointed out, there is less competition to work with less famous peeps. In my case, none that I know of. I've been trying to cultivate this position for 2+ years and it was not publicly advertised. I did not take early vs. late career PI into account when searching for a postdoc. Geography and topic were the only major considerations. My PhD advisor was chosen partly on this criteria though.

2) The way the lab is organized or run. I was not hired to churn out data using a technique I have specialized in. I will need extensive training to be able to do my experiments, but will be able to bring my own point of view to the table. This particular lab is opposite the 'division of labor' model. There are a lot of experiments to be done using my specialized techniques, but I am only consulting on them while the grad students are working through them.

3) The subject of the research itself. To branch out in organism, technique or question. My organism is very similar to what I did my dissertation research on, and the questions I'm asking are related to theories I've been interested in since I started doing research. Mainly, it is the techniques and framework of questioning that are different.

EcoGeoFemme has also weighed in on the subject of really early career PIs. I agree with her point that there will be- or already are- an increasing number of people whose postdoc funding comes from a start-up package. This means you might not get a lot of the assumed benefits of a postdoc like access to a huge network. I think the change in Issue #1 should also lead to changes in issues #2 or 3. You have no way to know how the lab will be run. Seeing/helping a lab get set-up could be a good experience but probably takes a ton of time that could be better spent churning out data from a specific technique. Also, in a new lab, perhaps it is better to try to branch out more in your subject to try to increase your network as much as possible. 

*Or, not so recently....but I get Internet installed at home on Monday! Yay!!!! Posting in a timely fashion!

Undercover Blogger

Things are going well with the new position. I am knee deep in unorganized data (OMG!! organize your files, people!) and fancy programs that I don't understand. Fun all around. 

My 'office' space is actually a corner in the lab. There are two grad students who sit right behind me*. Undergrads abound. I really hate sitting anywhere with my back exposed. At restaurants, Grackle is kind enough to always take the aisle seat. Nothing gives me comfort like a corner booth. Additionally, it is never good to have your computer facing the masses. There was a grad student at my last institution whose desk faced a wall near their office door. That student played a lot of online games and everyone that walked by saw it. People don't take them too seriously. So having a computer that faces your entire lab would make it difficult to check your facebook, or your twitter, or cuteoverload and especially your pseudonymous blog. This is my current situation. I'm calling about getting internet installed at home today.  

*They are both at class right now. 

Odds and ends

Since I am still transitioning into my new position, I am still transitioning out of my old lab. In order to really do this, I need to finish up some things and get them off my desk. In particular order...

• Final touches/Letter to Editor/Submit very old, small manuscript
• Format/Submit MS 1 from dissertation
• Final edits/Format/Submit MS 2 from dissertation

It would be nice if these were all finished by the time I return to the lab next week. The tasks themselves are small but they seem big in the greater sense of things. 

2008 ended up being a good year for getting papers accepted and these are the next round. This will be the first submission for each of these projects which almost certainly means rejections, lots of revisions, resubmissions, the whole cycle. I know it is good to have data and be getting it out and all but when working on these, part of me can't help but think 'Geez, here we go again...'

First Day

I started my postdoc today. 

It went alright. We never set a time to meet besides 'morning' so I showed up at 9. My boss, who I will call Ruby-throated Hummingbird, showed up t 9:35. We had a 3 hour meeting in which I chose my desk and got lots of keys*. We figured out my plan of attack and will get down to some data stuff next week. Tomorrow I get to do parking services, payroll and my first lab meeting. 

Then I am going home**. 

I realize it is ridiculous to go home 4 days after I got here. And after only 2 days in the lab, but R-tH is out of the office till next Wednesday and I have a previously planned commitment with my old advisor next Wednesday anyway (who never got a name but will now be Kingfisher). So instead of reading and working in an empty lab, I'm going to read and work in my pet filled house. It was R-tH's suggestion actually. Which is one of the many reasons why she rocks.  

*From a super nice key man. Key people CAN be nice! 

**Maybe I'll be able to catch up on blogs finally. I'm working on it but have about 1000 unread posts in my bloglines right now...You all are a prolific bunch!