Bullying in Science - Starting a discussion (Aug/13/2008 )
QUOTE (perneseblue @ Aug 14 2008, 05:43 PM)
... I am sure everyone is well familiar with the urban legend of the post-doc in a top lab that mixed radioisotope in the coffee in an attempt kill his competitor.
I am really sorry to inform you that this is not an urban myth. It actually happened in a lab at the NIH (I think in the 1980's) and it was not to kill someone but to bring home the message of not eating in the lab. The recipient was a Japanese lady who would eat her lunch in the lab. After being informed multiple times of the rule "no food in lab", a fellow lab member thought it would be funny to place some radioactivity on her food. The Japanese lady became sick and they discovered the radioactivity while she was being treated.
I have no idea what happened to the people involved but we now track all radioactivity use and all labs ban food in the lab.
-AussieUSA-
QUOTE (AussieUSA @ Aug 15 2008, 08:54 PM)
QUOTE (perneseblue @ Aug 14 2008, 05:43 PM)
... I am sure everyone is well familiar with the urban legend of the post-doc in a top lab that mixed radioisotope in the coffee in an attempt kill his competitor.
I am really sorry to inform you that this is not an urban myth. It actually happened in a lab at the NIH (I think in the 1980's) and it was not to kill someone but to bring home the message of not eating in the lab. The recipient was a Japanese lady who would eat her lunch in the lab. After being informed multiple times of the rule "no food in lab", a fellow lab member thought it would be funny to place some radioactivity on her food. The Japanese lady became sick and they discovered the radioactivity while she was being treated.
I have no idea what happened to the people involved but we now track all radioactivity use and all labs ban food in the lab.
I see.....
-perneseblue-
QUOTE (jorge1907 @ Aug 15 2008, 05:20 AM)
As I've said multiple times (are you listening casandra?), grow up. You'll have to sooner or later and it;s so much more enjoyable when you take control of your life.
Nope..not yet anyways
but you WERE listening to me and posted a much longer piece instead of your usual ornery one-liner ones. Besides, how do you know what I would deem enjoyable? Do you think I would prefer science or the lab to take control of my life? How about a Nobel prize in Jerkemistry or Bitchonomics?And if I choose differently, then I don’t measure up and I’m not worth anything at all… is this how you think we shld judge people then? And reading from your text...you're simply equating growing up with not whining and that it's only in grad school that people’s complaint/hurt feelings are catered to but nowhere else…I find this soo hard to believe. Except for your remix of “Grow Up and Don’t Whine”…we’re still waiting for more of your tips on how to grow up?
QUOTE (Telomerase @ Aug 15 2008, 01:18 PM)
To her, I was just slacking. Stress added, new things to learn, plus she thought the best way to teach someone is to shout at her. I’ve endured the whole scholarship, but got back home in pieces, and had serious health issues for the next few months.
I am still a bit obsessed about food and I hoard it whenever I can. Well sounds funny, but you'd have to live that.
I am still a bit obsessed about food and I hoard it whenever I can. Well sounds funny, but you'd have to live that.
Hi telomerase,
Jorge for sure is gonna whine again about my pop/sink psychology but I’ll happily not spare him that.
I’m sorry that you had to experience all that, truthfully, I felt so bad reading your post esp what you said about being too hungry to eat. We have to go back to the lunch thread girl. I guess that experience made you "grow up" 
tho unfortunately at the cost of your health. But what’s important I think is that you learned, you endured, you survived. It’s just too bad that at that time, there was no one there to help nor to talk with. How could you’ve defended yourself from that PhD student’s abuse when you’re weak and hungry and homesick? She shld’ve fattened you up first.
I’m glad that you’re in a better lab now….and let’s go back to the lunch thread….- casandra
-casandra-
QUOTE (AussieUSA @ Aug 16 2008, 03:39 AM)
.. . . I was always told "you are a big girl, tough it out".
Sounds like 'Grow up, don't whine' guy. He is a PI?
-Bungalow Boy-
QUOTE (jorge1907 @ Aug 15 2008, 04:20 AM)
After school, you are expected to find your place in the world - not the other way around. If you were to go into the Army, work in a factory, go into sales, etc. - do you really think anyone would cater to the complaints you've offered here? If you children were to get real jobs rather than stay in kindergarten - this would be obvious to you.
As I've said multiple times (are you listening casandra?), grow up. You'll have to sooner or later and it;s so much more enjoyable when you take control of your life.
As I've said multiple times (are you listening casandra?), grow up. You'll have to sooner or later and it;s so much more enjoyable when you take control of your life.
Jorge1907, have you worked before? Or have you tried graduate school before?
I had a "real" job before I started my PhD. Bullying exists in working places too. And you think they don't "whine" about it?
We are here to find solutions and support to the unfair situations that we are facing. I hope that is not considered as whining.
-peanutnation-
QUOTE (casandra @ Aug 14 2008, 08:04 AM)
Yeah, I'd consider it bullying bordering on the pathological..or even downright criminal. I see you're in Japan...ijime..isn't this almost an institution there and suicides result bec of it? I just can't believe the depths that some people can sink into...poor cells 
..I can give you a pep talk.. 
- casandra
..I can give you a pep talk.. - casandra
Yes, it is ijime. The person had been blaming and scolding me for unrelated things since this year.
My PI had talked to me about it. The person will be fired from the institute soon.
And my cells died again this Wednesday. The suspect gave birth to a baby on Thursday. She came to the lab, on Wednesday, 6:30 am for whatever "reasons". I heard that she suffered bleedings last 2 weeks ago when she was carrying her baby but that does not stop her from continuing her "deeds".
You are right Cassandra, can't believe to what depths people can sink into.
Even at the price of their own lives and children.
-peanutnation-
QUOTE (AussieUSA @ Aug 15 2008, 11:39 AM)
I am a very driven postdoc (and was a very driven PhD student) who has survived bullying from fellow postdocs/students who see me as a threat. The bullying was psychological and included:
* hiding or disposing of my reagents
* adding detergents to my PBS (cell pellets dissolve in detergent)
* purposely contaminating my mammalian cell cultures
* telling the boss I did things to them (never did)
* shouting accusations at me in the lab
* preventing access to my data, generated on a communal machine (sometimes the data was moved into a different folder)
When I have tried to discuss this with the PIs, I was always told "you are a big girl, tough it out". Even when the evidence was clear, I have never had a boss reprimand the bully.
AussieUSA.
* hiding or disposing of my reagents
* adding detergents to my PBS (cell pellets dissolve in detergent)
* purposely contaminating my mammalian cell cultures
* telling the boss I did things to them (never did)
* shouting accusations at me in the lab
* preventing access to my data, generated on a communal machine (sometimes the data was moved into a different folder)
When I have tried to discuss this with the PIs, I was always told "you are a big girl, tough it out". Even when the evidence was clear, I have never had a boss reprimand the bully.
AussieUSA.
How did you survive all that?
My mammalian cultures had been poisoned/ contaminated too, for nearly a whole year.
http://www.protocol-online.org/forums/inde...showtopic=38834
What did you do? How did you carry out experiments?
-peanutnation-
QUOTE (gebirgsziege @ Aug 14 2008, 07:06 AM)
I would kill the person who did this!!!!!!! Or at least become her (poison is a female weapon) worst nightmare....
Maybe you should borrow the mosquitoes form the entomologist
Maybe you should borrow the mosquitoes form the entomologist
Gebirgsziege, you are so RIGHT! We found that the person is indeed a female.
Unfortunately, the entomologist has brought back frozen mosquitoes instead of live ones.
-peanutnation-
Peanut - I had a "real job", including the Army before grad school. This is not a solutions discussion - it's a whining chorus conducted by Casandra has more balls than all you wankers. Not unexpected as female self-actualization is so emphasized while guys are discouraged from acting as males. Most formerly learned how to handle what you poor little fellows call "bullying" in the schoolyard and ball field. But you do have casandra - your mommy defending you against those who would criticize, providing comfort and understanding. I do retract my analogy. It's not useful as most of you wouldn't pursue jobs if you were not in grad school - you'd just move back in with your parents.
Loved the clown complaining of PhD's and suicide - the ultimate of self pity both vicariously for the poster as well as the few who attempt it.
-jorge1907-
QUOTE (jorge1907 @ Aug 16 2008, 03:44 AM)
Peanut - I had a "real job", including the Army before grad school. This is not a solutions discussion - it's a whining chorus conducted by Casandra has more balls than all you wankers. Not unexpected as female self-actualization is so emphasized while guys are discouraged from acting as males. Most formerly learned how to handle what you poor little fellows call "bullying" in the schoolyard and ball field. But you do have casandra - your mommy defending you against those who would criticize, providing comfort and understanding. I do retract my analogy. It's not useful as most of you wouldn't pursue jobs if you were not in grad school - you'd just move back in with your parents.
Loved the clown complaining of PhD's and suicide - the ultimate of self pity both vicariously for the poster as well as the few who attempt it.
Loved the clown complaining of PhD's and suicide - the ultimate of self pity both vicariously for the poster as well as the few who attempt it.
So you would stay with your parents if you are not in Grad school?
Jorge, it is a pity that you did not learn how to be polite to people.
Your rude rambles and disrespect for other's opinions just shows how immature you are. I would not tell you to grow up cause you would not even realize how childish you are.
-peanutnation-