Who are you, what are you doing here and why do you keep looking at me? V: The Quickening
June 20, 2012
In the antiquity of the ScienceBloggingWeb Ed Yong of Not Exactly Rocket Science asked his readers a simple question:
1) Tell me about you. Who are you? Do you have a background in science? If so, what draws you here as opposed to meatier, more academic fare? And if not, what brought you here and why have you stayed? Let loose with those comments.
2) Tell someone else about this blog and in particular, try and choose someone who’s not a scientist but who you think might be interested in the type of stuff found in this blog. Ever had family members or groups of friends who’ve been giving you strange, pitying looks when you try to wax scientific on them? Send ’em here and let’s see what they say.
He’s back at it this year, btw.
Last year I added:
I’m interested in whether you found us, or regularly follow us, through Twitter, Facebook and/or other beyond-RSS mechanisms that you may use to corral your information stream.
So for those newcomers to the blog, have at it, will you? Especially you lurkers (in case you didn’t notice, the email field can be filled with nonsense like dev@null.com).
Then head over to the previous editions (here, here, here and here) and get a feel for the community.
The veterans….I know who you are :-). But feel free to update us on any changes in the way you interact with the blog…especially if you’ve lost touch with the content, been dismayed or just decided that I’m not who you thought at first, ideas-wise.
have at it……
DrugMonkey 
June 20, 2012 at 1:10 pm
newly minted postdoc in addiction research.
tripped over your work/life balance blog last month. decided to keep you in RSS because i appreciate that you don’t sugarcoat the NIH world.
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June 20, 2012 at 1:30 pm
Long time reader, rare commenter. Grad student working in developmental cognitive neuroscience. Scientopia is on my Google Reader, so I’m always up to date with everyone’s posts 🙂
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June 20, 2012 at 1:36 pm
I am a recently tenured associate professor in the biological sciences at an R1 university. I came across your blog several years ago and have followed you sporadically since then (mostly on Twitter now). I am most interested in careerism and grantsmanship posts and have learned much from you and the regular commenters here and on their blogs as well. Unfortunately, most of my friends/family have no earthly idea what I really do, nor do most of them express more than a passing vague and glazed-over interest in understanding it, so I probably won’t be telling them about the blog. I have and will continue telling other scientists (students, postdocs, faculty) about your careerism/NIH posts because they were quite helpful to me while first navigating through assistant professor land.
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June 20, 2012 at 2:02 pm
postdoc transitioning to jr faculty position. i follow by twitter/rss. generally appreciative of the efforts, but rarely a commenter.
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June 20, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Dude, I think you should ditch all that tweetering boooolshittee, and focus on the blogge again. That shitte has fucked uppe your brain and diverts your attention from the blogge, as reflected in your posting frequency has gone way down since you started with that shitte.
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June 20, 2012 at 4:05 pm
I found your blog years ago when I was a grad student and was in the middle of a complicated authorship battle. I followed you on twitter under my real name and lurked for a long time and only recently started blogging and twittering under my current pseudonym.
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June 20, 2012 at 7:55 pm
I find that physioproffe(t) always sounds like a dickk but I almost always seem to agree with himmme.
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June 20, 2012 at 8:10 pm
New postdoc in neuroscience. Think i found you originally on the blogroll at ScienceBlogs, or through a mention by Isis. Have followed as a lurker for years on RSS and Twitter. Though being a postdoc increasingly makes me want to talk to science people on the internet.
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June 21, 2012 at 5:56 am
I am a long-time reader (since ’07!). I started reading as a post doc, and now have my own lab as an Assistant Professor at a med school in my hometown. I require every tech/grad student/post doc to read your blog religiously (and cook CPP’s recipes!). I have integrated much of the advice I’ve read on the blog. I echo CPP’s advice about twitter…then again, I don’t comment as much as I used to. Kids, grad students, post docs, techs, grants, study protocols, papers, data analysis, mentoring, journal clubs, and literature are really getting in the way. Please don’t take it personally!
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June 21, 2012 at 6:28 am
I’m an old (age 68) English Lit. person with a high interest in science of all types. I like reality. I check out Scientopia; Science, I am just that into you; ScienceBlogs; and many others. If the title sounds interesting, I check it out, and sometimes I follow many links delving deeper. I don’t subscribe to specific blogs (sorry) — well, except Rosetta Stones — so titles count a lot for grabbing my attention. I think my favorite aggregate site is Phys.Org. Am I am a dilettante? Yes, yes, I am.
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June 21, 2012 at 6:43 am
Science writer, was a postdoc in US and Europe before that. I read your blog because I’m trying to convince myself that life is better now that I’m not trying to join the R01 club. I still need to relate to members of that club all the time, though.
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June 21, 2012 at 7:16 am
New neuroscience faculty in T-35 days and counting. I’ve followed since 2008 or so, love all the career / grant / NIH posts, hate the Twitts.
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June 21, 2012 at 7:33 am
tenure-track biology faculty, follow through RSS. I read because you comment thoughtfully about data that trickles out of the NIH and because you write about varied topics. Plus, I’m not a drug researcher, but I find your research blogging fascinating.
I have a twitter account and I don’t follow anyone there that I have in my RSS feed. Too little time in the day.
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June 21, 2012 at 8:16 am
I don’t know whether I mentioned it during one of the previous rounds of introductions, but I first found your pre-scienceblogs site by following a link from Young Female Scientist to your (in)famous “Postdocs always overestimate their contributions…” post.
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June 21, 2012 at 8:19 am
Long time reader but only recently started commenting here. I’m a tenured assoc’ prof’ at a US university, very interested in RO1 and other NIH related posts. The work/life balance stuff is intriguing too – if only to see how the landscape changes from generation to generation (tsssk, them young ‘uns, eh?) I consider myself young (still under 40), but by NIH and other criteria I’m part of the old boy network, which is scary as hell because I have to try not piss anyone off for at least the next 25 years, which is proving harder and harder to do every day! Also very interested in open access and other publishing issues (big follower of retraction-watch).
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June 21, 2012 at 1:41 pm
I’m a sociologist and demographer (postdoc). I assume I came across this blog when I was looking for info on applying for NIH grants. Not too common practice amongst sociologists so very little of use from those folks. But this blog is a gold mine of information, and I feel like I’m getting a glimpse into the secret world of the hard sciences researchers. I like how drugmonkey takes people/NIH/etc. to task and then everyone takes drugmonkey to task. Just good entertainment there.
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June 21, 2012 at 2:53 pm
Postdoc transitioning to assistant biology prof at R1. I don’t remember how I found your blog. I like the parts on NIH funding. I also really like that you’re human(e).
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June 21, 2012 at 3:20 pm
Human? Humane? What?
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June 21, 2012 at 3:24 pm
I’m a 3rd year post-doc at an uptight research institution on the left coast (US), who has only lurked prior to this post (which is likely where I’ll return).
I was perusing various science blogs during the proposed Elsevier boycott when I came across DM sparring with Eisen at his blog. I found his points convincing and followed the link in his username to this blog. Since then I’ve enjoyed the majority of the posts and discussion here (in particular the careerism, grantsmanship, and open access stuff).
I follow DM on the twits, but not via any other means (RSS, FB, carrier pigeon, smoke signals, etc.).
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June 21, 2012 at 4:26 pm
I’m an associate prof in a chem department at a research university. Been lurking for about 3 years ever since I started collaborating with a biologist at a nearby med school. I never had much luck in chemistry study sections at NIH, they always seem to have very sharp knives, but have had better luck when collaborating and can get into the bio study sections. Follow mostly to learn as much about the grants as I can, but I can relate to a lot of the other stuff.
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June 21, 2012 at 6:30 pm
I’m a research track faculty at large R01 med ctr. Our lab studies food allergies, particularly developing treatments. Been a great ride, love not having a tenure clock. I found ur blog a couple years ago thru youngfemalescientists blog. Great insights here and plenty of laughs.
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June 21, 2012 at 7:03 pm
Shhhh… (omebodysay gets all issypay about who is oremay ilarioushay.)
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June 21, 2012 at 7:54 pm
A thousand years ago I found your blog and pegged you as an opinionated asshole; then I read more deeply and realized you were just my kind of opionated asshole & became a huge fan. Then I realized you were a genius, albeit a different brand than my genius. What’s not to love?
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June 21, 2012 at 8:49 pm
Aww you are too kind. Did you happen to catch the Slaughter interview on Fresh Air? I found it….complicated.
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June 22, 2012 at 1:17 am
Hmmm, no. Will have to check the archives and give it a listen.
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June 22, 2012 at 1:26 am
Oh dear. Complicated ain’t the half of it. And I’ ve just skimmed the transcript.
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June 22, 2012 at 4:34 am
I swear all I could think on the first part I heard was “Terri should have interviewed Zuska”
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June 22, 2012 at 5:52 am
I’m a philosophy/literature grad working a mind-numbing corporate analyst job. I read science/philosophy/tech blogs/articles/forums all day. I am flabbergasted at the large minority of academic Science work that makes blatant missteps in logic. This in addition to many of the problems your blog outlines nevertheless does not tarnish my optimism about the future of science. I read an article (possible linked from your blog) from I think the Journal of Epidemiology (or similar) which prescribed mandatory analytic philosophy education for scientists. Suffice to say, I couldn’t agree more.
As opposed to many high up in academic/artistic/political circles (and most common-folk as well), I believe that we as a society should focus our efforts on what makes us live the longest and healthiest. This likely means more funding and spreading of memes for biological science/engineering and less on ipods and art. Or maybe not, but the discussing needs to center around health and longevity.
I probably found your blog through links from other articles and blogs and emphatically applaud your efforts.
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June 22, 2012 at 8:32 am
Human(e) explained: I mean that in several posts, you’ve stated that you don’t believe much in perfect CVs or perfect scientists. You’ve said your path hasn’t been a linear trajectory. You consider the impact of NIH policies on science as a system (i.e., the dynamics of populations other than PIs). In other words, you present a very human and humane perspective on getting good science funded and done. These are traits I don’t see often in my environment.
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June 23, 2012 at 6:13 am
I changed career goals; I’m a master brewer in training. For the moment, I’m interning in a brewery while doing a biochemistry bachelor and my PI is creating a new research project on beer brewing and I’ll take care of creating a new strain of beer fermenting yeast.
A.L.
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June 23, 2012 at 7:56 am
Associate professor at an academic medical science institute. Came across your comments on the NIH blog and backtracked. I like the discussions you provoke and the backstories-I learn a lot–especially how that old guy network thinks (being female, it’s a mystery). I’m a lurker. Worried about our fates. We’re genetically related, apparently-I react similarly to NIH absurdity.
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June 23, 2012 at 9:36 am
GMO beer!!!??!!? OMG, danger!!!
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June 25, 2012 at 8:53 pm
Yep, indeed, GMO beer 🙂
really, yeast adapt very well to their environment (read: beer wort) so I don’t think I’ll do GMO but I’ll select for the best yeast to grow in various environment (from white beer up to stout and barley wine) while having a minimum amount of aftertastes.
A.L.
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June 27, 2012 at 5:36 pm
I am a former lab tech who was working towards a career in medicine and/or research. I carried out my own research project and had some poster publications and started working on some paper submissions before I left. My career goal switched a few years ago and I am currently a high school science teacher.
As far as the blog goes, I found this while I was searching for coverage on “Michael W. Miller” as I am one of the whistelblowers in that case. I commented a few times on the write-ups under “anon” and have stayed with the site ever since…I enjoy many of the write-ups and the comments that go with them.
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June 27, 2012 at 8:07 pm
postdoc- I regret that there are places so…uptight…that my views (which I think are nothing particularly special) are novel. I suspect more people than you realize share these views but they may not always come out in public…
BB- sorry you got caught up in all of that and I hope it wasn’t something that forced your hand. Either way, good on ya for teaching highschool kids.
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July 5, 2012 at 4:48 am
[…] as question #3, later added to the tradition by Drugmonkey, and a fourth question devised specifically about […]
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July 5, 2012 at 4:48 am
[…] as question #3, later added to the tradition by Drugmonkey, and a fourth question devised specifically about […]
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July 5, 2012 at 9:45 am
[…] to ask you the same questions (#1 and 2), as well as question #3, later added to the tradition by Drugmonkey, and a fourth question devised specifically about this […]
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July 5, 2012 at 12:01 pm
I started out reading and commenting on the science articles in Yahoo! and have been doing so since about 2010. I noticed a majority of Yahoo’s articles came from S.A. and when I saw that you were looking for bloggers I thought I would leave the dark side for a while. The comments on Yahoo tend to be awful and shortsighted and I am hoping to find a more stable group of thinkers. Although I am not currently in school or working in science I have been interested in science all my life and have worked in engineering off and on as a tech for years so this seems like a better place for me; especially since Yahoo just cultivates its articles from you to begin with.
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