Hey readers!
I am writing this blog post immediately after watching the Cardinals lose to the LA Rams and drop to 1-3. My dad and I have resolved to stop watching games for the rest of the season... at least I'll have more time for AP Research! Unfortunately, this devastating loss was not the most embarrassing experience of my weekend.
On Friday afternoon, during a conference call with my research group, I was sharing my screen on Google Hangouts to explain how to analyze RBS spectra and create a compelling poster when the unexpected happened. As I readied myself to explain my insightful point about the data, my eyes widened with fear. A circle, greener than chloroplasts, with 3 curved lines resembling the convoluted endoplasmic reticulum of the endomembrane system (I honestly can't explain my desire to use cellular biology imagery right now) bounced up and down at the bottom of my screen.
A new black window covered up the picturesque poster I was displaying. My entire life flashed through my eyes as I realized the magnitude of what had just occurred. An accidental mouse-click had opened the beloved Spotify application, displaying to all viewers the infamous Hype/Ball playlist and the last song I was listening to by my favorite artist of the PRESENT (you all know who that is...): "I Got the Keys" by DJ Khaled, Jay Z, and (the one-and-only) Future. Stifled laughter from fellow interns echoed through speakers of my MacBook Pro, and I received 3 separate texts, 2 different Snapchats, and 1 Facebook message asking me if I knew I was still screen-sharing. I minimized the window quickly, and with it, my dignity.
Now that we've all been triggered thoroughly, I'm going to talk about the good, the neutral (not bad?), and the ugly about my research project.
I am writing this blog post immediately after watching the Cardinals lose to the LA Rams and drop to 1-3. My dad and I have resolved to stop watching games for the rest of the season... at least I'll have more time for AP Research! Unfortunately, this devastating loss was not the most embarrassing experience of my weekend.
On Friday afternoon, during a conference call with my research group, I was sharing my screen on Google Hangouts to explain how to analyze RBS spectra and create a compelling poster when the unexpected happened. As I readied myself to explain my insightful point about the data, my eyes widened with fear. A circle, greener than chloroplasts, with 3 curved lines resembling the convoluted endoplasmic reticulum of the endomembrane system (I honestly can't explain my desire to use cellular biology imagery right now) bounced up and down at the bottom of my screen.
A new black window covered up the picturesque poster I was displaying. My entire life flashed through my eyes as I realized the magnitude of what had just occurred. An accidental mouse-click had opened the beloved Spotify application, displaying to all viewers the infamous Hype/Ball playlist and the last song I was listening to by my favorite artist of the PRESENT (you all know who that is...): "I Got the Keys" by DJ Khaled, Jay Z, and (the one-and-only) Future. Stifled laughter from fellow interns echoed through speakers of my MacBook Pro, and I received 3 separate texts, 2 different Snapchats, and 1 Facebook message asking me if I knew I was still screen-sharing. I minimized the window quickly, and with it, my dignity.
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| I pressed the wrong KEY KEY KEY. |
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| No caption needed -- too good. |
- The Good: I am very confident about the grasp I have of the motivations and mechanisms behind HemaDrop™. Compiling sources, writing, and presenting about my research has really allowed me to understand why this research matters, how HemaDrop works, and what methods we can use to analyze its viability. Additionally, I am very happy with the current research question I wrote on Friday (What properties of high surface-energy coatings and surface topography allow HemaDrop™ to optimize uniformity and analyzability of solid films created by congealing microliters of blood on substrates?) and new way of looking at this research I worked on with Mrs. Haag and Dr. Herbots recently. I had unknowingly developed a set frame of mind that was stifling my ability to describe our research from the beginning and to a general audience. I am also thrilled with the potential methods I get to plan and undertake for my primary research, as I am so curious to see how HemaDrop™ samples respond to various analysis techniques and with different substrate properties. Finally, I am excited with the extensive support system I have through AP Research and the Herbots research group. As long as I stay on track and ahead of schedule, I will be able to reach out for help on any aspect giving me difficulty.
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| Jay Z: Cold and emotionless -- neutral. |
- The Neutral: I have no strong feelings about my time management this year so far, since I have been trying to stay ahead of schedule, and I have been pretty solid in that regard. This is an area I can definitely improve on though. Additionally, I am neutral about writing the literature review, since I am a little nervous about constructing it in a compelling way, but I am also really excited to get writing, since it will allow me to show my understanding of my research so far. I guess those balance out into neutral.
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| I couldn't find a better GIF for the ugly, so here's DJ Khaled for the sake of symmetry |
- The Ugly: I am slightly concerned about the number of possible combinations required to test in order to optimize HemaDrop and analysis techniques. Even though I am trying to pick and choose the analysis techniques based on sources in my literature review (describing limitations and advantages of different techniques), I am a little terrified about having to test all of these combinations and analyze the results. However, I think my question leaves some room for the potential result that I can't find the exact optimal conditions, since I am investigating the new field and I can't find all the answers. Also, I think studying and planning my methods carefully will also help this process.
I hope you enjoyed this more light-hearted post than the last few weeks, since I definitely enjoyed writing it! And that's the KEY after all.
Here's to moving on to FUTURE fun and research...
Cheers,
Yash
Yash
(803)
WOW THX YASH FOR THAT SUPER EMBARRASSING STORY FROM YOU LIFE! Your blog is pretty LIT bc DJ Khaled, and your research question is pretty solid (and confusing, but that makes it better??). It sounds like you feel super great about your methodology (which is the part I’m TERRIFIED of), so that’s really good. CONGRATULATIONS!!! ???
ReplyDeleteAnd you literally have nothing about your research that you don’t feel good about. Like even the ugly ended up being something like it’s ok if you fail because your question leaves room for potential failure. Also I’m not sure if this is helpful, but you could always justify which techniques you choose based on which ones are more commonly used? But otherwise, I wish I felt as confident as you do about your research/methodology.
(117)
Sup Yash. I think you have an actual problem regarding your KEYS obsession. Like I think you need to take a chill pill. Anyhow, I really liked what you said about having a stronger grasp of your motivation for the project. Even with me, I feel like it's easy to either forget or not emphasize the reason that we are doing these projects other than our own personal interest, and I think it's really good that you are thinking about the "why" of your project! Your project seems to be coming together nicely for the lit review, so that's wonderful! About the "ugly" part of you project, I would first like to say that at least you're not terrified by anything in the lit review, which is the most pressing part of the project! Secondly, it's important to address limitations. So you could say that you were only able to run x number of analyses, but out of those y proved to be most effective. Then you can acknowledge how more testing still needs to be done, but your work is an improvement to the current lack of knowledge. Just food for thought... Overall, I would give yourself a 'pat' on the back, am I right? (206)
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ReplyDeleteYash, I think, to assuage your fears about the potential combinations you'll need to analyze, you should discuss this in detail with Dr. Herbots and get a better understanding of the time and effort it will take to complete these things. I know you decided on something together, but perhaps go into more detail. I think you'll probably come to the same conclusion, but your understanding of what's involved will likely make you feel better.
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