The upside of scientific meetings
October 18, 2012
It’s quite possible that the full-throated value of a scientific meeting for your science is only realized once you are a PI.
It is not infrequent that I come back from scientific meetings all in a tizzy to do one of three things.
1) Put the hurry up on pumping out some data that we’ve been collecting.
2) Start new experiments! Several. We gotta get on this right now people so let’s moooooove!
3) Write two or three new grant proposals.
The reasons are varied but it all comes down to the constellation of encouragements you get at a conference through talking with various people about your data and their own data.
This is why we do this. Because the science is exciting. And meetings put a thick underline below this experience.
DrugMonkey 
October 18, 2012 at 10:32 am
Yep.
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October 18, 2012 at 10:46 am
absolutely.
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October 18, 2012 at 10:58 am
THIS!
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October 18, 2012 at 11:00 am
I felt the same way as a grad student and now as a postdoc. Meetings are valuable in so many ways, but mostly I love the feeling of coming home full of ideas and inspiration.
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October 18, 2012 at 11:25 am
I guess what I meant as “fully realized” is that from the PI chair you can actually tell several people to get on that stuff pronto….and you can also write and submit the grant.
Not that jr scientists aren’t similarly inspired, they just may not be able to do quite so many things in response…..
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October 18, 2012 at 6:35 pm
I used to feel those things when I returned from a conference, but now I just want to drink club soda for a week.
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October 18, 2012 at 8:16 pm
Next time try cutting your drinking by 2/3 PP. Problem solved.
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October 19, 2012 at 5:31 am
While PP was out partying, his Yanks got swept…cut him some slack.
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October 19, 2012 at 7:37 am
So true!
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October 19, 2012 at 9:30 am
I’m always equally inspired as a little salmon spawn to hear that my.half finished ideas from years past have been used for other purposes and credited to my checked out pi…n to get an opportunity to defend myself to the reviewers directly…praise acceptance and fascinating science r highly motivating 4 any creative pursuit!…I’m just sorry I missed banter! Cuz the Germansin neuroscience had free drinks 4 hours n I ❤ my German friends!
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