No physical assembly. A digital sharing platform. EGU reinvented. Valeri needed some time to process all this and is still deliberating his opinion: What did you think about the digital version of the EGU GA? Dear Valeri, It was great. Just. Great. There were loads of presentations with brand new science available online. Greatly readable, enjoyable and clear. So many new insights there, it was ey ...[Read More]
After asking many times whether or not I can hear him and just generally struggling to communicate, Noel finally manages to ask: On average, how many times is ‘Can you hear me now?’ uttered during a conference call? Dear Noel, Unlike the ritual of – the almost spiritual – sharing of screens, the accidental muting of the microphone and the associated questions varying on the theme of &# ...[Read More]
Tokío’s contract is about to expire. Confident she would convince someone to hire her through expert presentations, astute questions, insightful discussions and uncanny charm, she now frets: I was counting on networking at the EGU GA to find a new job, but now I can’t. What can I do? Dear Tokío, I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Don’t trap yourself in a panicking fit just ...[Read More]
During the umpteenth conference call this week, it is finally time for Carrie to share her screen. So, naturally, she asks: Where is the share screen button? Dear Carrie, I am not sure how to break this to you. Indeed, I am not sure if I should be the person telling you this. However, since you ask, I feel obliged to divulge this secret to you. Just promise me you will not tell anyone. Okay? Do I ...[Read More]
Embedded on a chair behind a laptop, with no access to the university labs in the foreseeable future and hands-on research activities stalling, Felicia resides ensconced: I need to access my lab to do my research, but I am not allowed to go. What can I do? Dear Felicia, Not very much by the looks of it. I suggest: take a load off and get some sleep. Wean yourself off of that 12-16 hours a day rout ...[Read More]
Now more than ever, Kaito is using conference calls to stay in touch (scientifically and otherwise) but is frustrated about the (lack of) etiquette. He ponders: What is the best way to set up a conference call? Dear Kaito, I suppose you like conference calls as much as I do. Not. I don’t know how many times I’ve thought to simply quit a call due to the inherent chaos that at some point ...[Read More]
Michaela is stuck at home, both physically and mentally, with the hope that she does not catch nor spread the new COVID-19 virus. Without the comforting environment of her own university desk, and not the itchy couch at home that’s hardly been sat on, she wonders: What is the best approach to efficiently work from home? Dear Michaela, Feeling your pain of enforced home isolation, I wonder to ...[Read More]
T-Low feels a little insecure whether that specific niche of the broad spectrum of science merits all of the effort put in: Every now and then I’m starting to wonder if my little branch of science is really worth doing? And if not, which one is? And why? Dear T-Low, Stay doing what you’re doing. Even if you feel a little bit underwhelmed by an apparent lack of interest sometimes. Don&# ...[Read More]
Agata struggles with the many and diverse opinions thrown at her whilst endeavoring to finish a paper: What is the perfect number of co-authors for a paper? Dear Agata, As few as possible. Limit yourself to the people you really cannot avoid. Such as those collaborators that have actually provided a significant contribution to the body of work presented in a manuscript. For every researcher this d ...[Read More]
Tuckered from simply contemplating the infinite myriad of possibilities arising behind the dandy phantasmagoria at the pristine horizon which is a doctorate, Maite considers: Should I start a postdoc directly after my PhD? Dear Maite, I would. If you want to stay in science, that is. Consider yourself a prospector initiating the exploration of an unsullied landscape. A wonderful scenery of excitin ...[Read More]