How Research Works: XI

fMRI SCANNING CENTER: 2:40pm

MRI TECH
I don't understand how subjects keep falling asleep in there.

PRIMARY INVESTIGATOR
A boring task in a warm enclosed space with dim lighting and lots of white noise?  I'm suprised how many stay awake, honestly.

GRAD STUDENT
(Is asleep at the MRI console, dreaming about a completed thesis)

Folding Paper

Sometimes when I hear something new, especially something I really like, I end up with a lot more music than I intend.  This is exactly what happened when I heard A Place to Bury Strangers.  Not the best name for a band sure, but I really like their stuff.

The mix title is sort of a reference to Blade Runner since I think some of the music on the mix sounds kind of (but really not at all) like Vangelis' score.  The picture is from Metropolis.  It isn't really related to anything, but its a nice (albeit very cynical) metaphor for graduate school.

1. Hatred of Music I- Tim Hecker

2. It's All Write- aTelacine

3. Come See- Belong

4. となりのサターン (My Neighbor Satan)- Boris

5. MOSES- Chelsea Wolfe

6. Bad Volcano- The Vandelles

7. Ego Death- A Place to Bury Strangers

8. Hatred of Music II- Tim Hecker

9. Conscience Collider- Screen Vinyl Image

10. Hallo Spaceboy- David Bowie

Yes. That is, in fact, an industrial David Bowie song.  Apparently he made an entire album like that in the mid 90's.  There was supposed to be a follow-up but it never materialized.  The album is really decent actually if you can get over the fact that it is Bowie trying to make a Nine Inch Nails record.

How Research Works: X

THE PSYCHOLOGY BUILDING- 2am

UNDERGRAD 1
Yes! I think it is an excellent idea to play Zombies vs. Aliens in this building middle of the night!

UNDERGRAD 2
Watch the lab doors. I think I hear zombies in there!

GRAD STUDENT
(Wakes up at his desk, in his lab, academic papers stuck to his face)

GRAD STUDENT
Ugggghhhhh

The Black Hole

When I teach, I sometimes feel like I'm talking to an empty room.  An empty room full of 100 students.  I'm not sure if students are just conditioned to be passive or if I lull them to sleep, but it can be very difficult to get them to give any feedback.

 I feel bad.  You'd think a decent teacher (and I consider myself slightly better than mediocre) would be able to keep students engaged, but I've seen students fall asleep in even the most dynamic lectures.  To cope with this, I've decided to just amuse myself while I'm talking.  If students aren't going to be responsive to the material I'm teaching, at least I'll keep myself amused.

Seminar Blues

I gave a talk last week about my research.  It seemed relatively well received at the time, and the majority of the feedback I've received has been very positive.  Since then, I've heard that a faculty member, with whom I thought I had a good relationship, threw me under the bus while discussing the talk with my advisor.  Apparently this person took exception to how I framed some of my review of the literature and concluded that, for this reason, my hypotheses must be unsubstantiated and/or incorrect.  If this were an accurate criticism I wouldn't mind so much, nor would I mind so much if s/he had leveled this criticism to me in person rather than by proxy through my adviser.

Communication in academic departments is fantastically complicated.  On paper, there really aren't a lot of rules for who should communicate what to who (and how).  Furthermore, the rules that do exist are generally completely ignored.  This results in a huge amount of stress, especially on grad students who are under a tremendous amount of pressure but whose concerns are most often pushed aside or outright ignored in favor of those of more senior personal in the department.

Luckily my situation is a relative non-issue.  The complaint was dismissed by my advisor and I'll face absolutely no consequences.  I'm mostly just annoyed that the complaint even reached my advisor at all.  Usual (unofficial) protocol is that problems (especially relatively minor problems) are leveled at the student first, with the students advisor being left out unless the situation is serious.  My advisor controls a large part of my future, so I'm really not happy that I was heavily criticized in front of her without an opportunity to defend myself.  Not only is this a breach of protocol, but its unconstructive.

How Research Works: IX

A SMALL SEMINAR ROOM- 5:10

(Our industrious grad student has just finished giving a talk)

GRAD STUDENT

Thanks everyone.  Does anyone have any questions?

VERY TENURED PROFESSOR

I do! Could you explain to me something I read in the New York Times that is only tangentially related to the research you do and not at all related to what you just spent 80 minutes talking about?

GRAD STUDENT

I'm... not sure I can.  I'm sorry.

VERY TENURED PROFESSOR

Well.  Ok.  Can you give me a working hypothesis for an experiment I am just now, while talking to you, making up.  Keep in mind I know nothing about the work that has already been done in the area, I am speaking in very vague terms, and that I respond poorly to ambiguity.

GRAD STUDENT

Er.  The... results... will be significant?

VERY TENURED PROFESSOR

Hm.  Lets talk in my office tomorrow.  How does 6am sound?

Numbers

Grad school is so much fun, sometimes I get e-mail that looks like this:

To:     xxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.edu
From: xxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.edu

Subject: FFA ROI (Please Analyze Over the Weekend)

161.02,188.96,192.9,191.31
161.01,189.99,192.67,191.62
161.38,188.9,191.85,190.49
160.27,187.87,192.07,191.57
160.89,188.03,193.29,191.12
160.98,188.72,193.01,190.23
160.16,188.54,192.54,190.48
159.99,187.7,191.35,190.26
161.39,189.84,192.46,191.19
161.3,189.15,191.92,191.25
161.56,189.65,192.14,190.51
160.61,187.81,191.75,189.57
160.49,188.6,192.19,189.97
161.62,188.14,192.29,189.83
161.14,187.48,191.34,191.17
160.94,188.27,192.29,190.67
161.63,190.16,191.53,190.81
161.31,189.38,191.57,190.51
160.8,188.73,192.34,190.69
160.65,188.41,192.99,191.31
160.35,189.32,192.13,189.96
160.61,188.35,191.87,190.01
160.93,188.29,191.24,190.27
161.04,188.78,192.83,191.2
161.8,189.76,191.97,191.24
161.8,189.7,191.44,190.38
161.4,188.07,191.9,190.59
160.39,187.1,192.67,191.5

Fear of Snow

There is a distinct 80's influence on a lot of new music that I like. Pretty much everything sounds like either Sonic Youth or The Jesus and Mary Chain.  A development I am perfectly fine with, by the way.  Lots of staring at the ground and mumbling. Anyway, the Triángulo de Amor Bizarro track on this mix probably doesn't fit so well with the rest, but I really like it anyway.

1. Shake the Shackles- The Crystal Stilts

2. Crazy Rulers of the World- Surf City

3. Some Candy Talking- The Jesus and Mary Chain

4. Christine- Siouxie and the Banshees

5. There is a Light that Never Goes Out- Dum Dum Girls

6. Sometimes- My Bloody Valentine

7. Blue LA Strip- The Vandelles

8. El Baile do los Caidos-Triángulo de Amor Bizarro