Why are lab people so quick to think other people are slow or stupid? - (Sep/10/2008 )
Stupidity is definitely relative. My boss must know a great deal about biology and must be able to piece together info in papers to come up with new projects yet she doesnt seem to be able to notice any of the social interactions going on in her lab, I would say that she has the emotional intelligence of a wallnut and she has no leadership qualities. I wouldnt call her intelligent at all since she has no real grasp of reality in her lab. I try really hard not to forget she is my boss and not feel sorry for her but there is a certain vulnerability to her freaky ackwardness that is quite saddening.
This girl that gets picked on, is in fact a real people-pleaser that isnt really into science but is good at interacting with people, overly friendly and good at small-talk and what-not. She would be a pleasure to work with when given specific instructions for things.
Me, well when Im insecure I seem to be scared to do anything by myself so I ask and seem unsure and sell myself as stupid, yet give me an algebra or geometry problem and Ill have no problem with it.
The brainy PhD in lab is confident in what she does and used to figuring things out by herself and thinking about experiments strategically. Yet biology is the only thing you can talk to her about, I dont think she knows much about anything else.
Who is smart? Who is stupid? Does it take a high IQ to learn how to do a western-blot? Does it take a high IQ to get your workers to respect you and not see you as socially incompetent? As far as I can tell up to now, being smart has little to with surviving in lab, its more about ass-kissing and being politically correct, not show too much weakness and not show too much strength because youll be easily labeled as stupid or arrogant.
Now, since im of a friendly disposition and I believe in the power of alcohol I will organize a social gathering as soon as and see how it goes, and ive already started pimping my desk with post its and posters, i will make myself feel at home since I will be here for another couple of years and I will read as much as I can in this forum and in papers because life is about learning. I dont think its true that one has to suffer during ones PhD, its all about disposition, I love lab, i love hanging out in lab, i love experiments and papers and lectures, go nerds!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
It is sad actually. Good scientist become PIs. But PIs needs to be a good people manager. And this is one skill they don't teach you as a PhD student or post-doc,"How to manage a lab". They are left to their own abilities, and thus presence of great scientist, some even may be well meaning, who are such poor PIs that their labs are difficult places to work in.
"The importance of stupidity in scientific research"
Check this link
http://www.protocol-online.org/forums/inde...mp;hl=stupidity
Viva la salsa !!!! y viva las chicas latinas!!!!
Nanu give everybody a pina colada with lots of rum and you will be loved. jumm I want a Pina colada now!!(with rum!!!) Casandra do you want some???
In many labs. you will find egos (some larger than life) and people that compites to be the smarter one like they were play Jeopardy everyday. So learn, ask, be kind with people and do your job with passion and loves and ignore those that thinks that you aren't as smart as them...usually those that presume to be the most intelligent creature of the planet are the must stupid.
Nanu give everybody a pina colada with lots of rum and you will be loved. jumm I want a Pina colada now!!(with rum!!!) Casandra do you want some???
Oh yeah....ad infinitum and on the beaches of Isla Verde....I think that it's usually hard to avoid this atmosphere of competitiveness....if it's healthy and will challenge or motivate lab members to do better, why not? But if it gets out of control then we can just imagine the consequences. But if this happens, I'd still say it would be the PI's fault i.e. command responsibility
. Oh and nanu nana I'm sure you've already shown your appreciation to those who've helped you in one way or another especially when they didn't have to but just wanted to (I'm not talking about me but welcome anyways
) ....I'm actually referring to your colleagues 
..once we get the help we needed, we tend to have very short memories until the next time we get stuck again.... and yeah ..viva la salsa....casandra
tata tata tatatatata en barranquilla me quedo! si senor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! jejeje
la lalalalala lalalala
I dont mind competitiveness, I know its healthy but sometimes it can be counterproductive if the person that is competing with you is your senior. This diploma thesis student in lab gets picked on every single day, you havent finished that yet? What? Thats all youve done? Thats school maths?
They dont ask her to lunch, or for coffee, you stands in her side of lab with no one really and shes been intimidated so much she comes over to my side of the lab to fearfully ask me how much tween to put in to 0,1% Tween/PBS.
It is in fact important to face problems in lab because you work through them, Im waiting to see if I have a lot of background on my first western blot or if i get a signal at all, then I will think about it and optimize if something went wrong. But if someone makes you feel stupid in a youre not even fit to think on your own way it is very hard to try to prove them wrong if they are superior to you, very hard.
I am currently ignoring comments and asking for what I need and want, I know have a pippette boy, a vacuum and im getting my own pinzette to handle my membranes yes sir, a week ago I would have been scared to ask because people react so annoyed of because I thought people would realize I needed these things.
weekends coming, hopefully with a nice blot on my conscience!!!!!!!!
la lalalalala lalalala
I dont mind competitiveness, I know its healthy but sometimes it can be counterproductive if the person that is competing with you is your senior. This diploma thesis student in lab gets picked on every single day, you havent finished that yet? What? Thats all youve done? Thats school maths?
They dont ask her to lunch, or for coffee, you stands in her side of lab with no one really and shes been intimidated so much she comes over to my side of the lab to fearfully ask me how much tween to put in to 0,1% Tween/PBS.
It is in fact important to face problems in lab because you work through them, Im waiting to see if I have a lot of background on my first western blot or if i get a signal at all, then I will think about it and optimize if something went wrong. But if someone makes you feel stupid in a youre not even fit to think on your own way it is very hard to try to prove them wrong if they are superior to you, very hard.
I am currently ignoring comments and asking for what I need and want, I know have a pippette boy, a vacuum and im getting my own pinzette to handle my membranes yes sir, a week ago I would have been scared to ask because people react so annoyed of because I thought people would realize I needed these things.
weekends coming, hopefully with a nice blot on my conscience!!!!!!!!
Baila en la calle de noche
Baila en la calle de dia
Yeah we need more dancing and good food and fiesta.......I think once you start working with a group, you're always being tested so in the end, we have to know when to be assertive and make "demands", when to prove we're right, when to ask for help and when to accept criticisms and learn from mistakes.
Sometimes tho, some people are either so callous and clueless that they don't even notice how hurtful they could be even if unintentionally and then there are some who are really downright mean and rude. Since every lab is different then I suppose we have to navigate our way the best we can and hopefully come out of the experience not traumatised for life (or at least without PTSS) .
Telomerase stated in the Bullying thread that people don't go to science for their extraordinary people skills and she could be right
. I feel sorry though for that young diploma thesis student...she doesn't need to go through that. I may be an idealistic idiot, but I believe that we go to the university to study, to learn, to improve ourselves and not to become better b*tches or b*stards because in the end that's what we have to be to survive in such unhealthy environment. Oh, and we also to the the university to party....viva las fiestas
casandra
I hope this young diploma student will stumble upon Bioforum when she googles for methods.
my case is worse, here in my lab nobody speaks acceptable English, except for my professor. I have to study virtually everything on my own and just observe them how they do it 
really?? Poor you........its all really weird, I thought this lba was bad and then i talk to this postdoc who was in france and he told me that the boss was never there and he was the only one who wasnt french and the first time he went up to someone that person was like... you are not going to steal my results.
It took a year for anyone to talk to him,uhm...........
Fresh start in a new week, have to repeat my western blot because of background oh well