(2/2) A Day in the Life of an Academic Researcher

[Akhotnik]

Can't wait to start grad school. :D

[sosolidshoe2]

Very interesting, thank you. I'm currently going back into education in my mid-twenties(don't get yourself labelled as a "problem child", even if you have a legitimate disorder like HFA, your education will get f'd-up), studying science, and I would love to do research and teaching.

I console myself with the idea that even if I'm not as smart as I think I am, I can at least do some good for science by becoming involved in politics and using my education to shape policy. Or work in ASDA, heh.

[Azremodehar]

Thank you for posting this. It's been my dream to get into research (albeit in the fields of astronomy and physics) since I was about six years old, and I'm glad to see that it does, in fact, entail exactly what I've always thought it does. :D

[GreatgoatonFire]

I just wanted to say that I fund this video to be really inspiring.

[vnorthru]

I love the ending. I know my lab technician thinks I am insane for wanting to do a PhD and basically the amount of hours I put in. This was a great video and gives at least a basic idea of how research is done and the diversity found among academia. I have to agree, though the road can be frustrating, the payoff is worth it and the constant challenge makes it interesting.

[fatmon]

Wonderful videos, you explain very well how it all works. I have been fortunate because right now I am a sophomore undergrad and I was able to get into a lab to do research. So before I go to grad school or medical school I will have 3 years of research under my belt. I thought it was a little boring at first but then I started getting more things I had to do in the lab and now I really enjoy it!

[technologysucks]

What happens in review board meetings for animal and human subject research? What's wrong with 'em?

[AntiCitizenX]

I really enjoyed this video. I'm working on my PhD in Electrical Engineering, and nearly everything you said is perfectly analogous to the lab that I work in.

[drokles]

I'd like being a researcher but I don't have perfect grades, so getting a scholarship and all that will be too expensive.

[indian8217]

i hate watching this vid bc it makes me so want to b a researcher but i know that i am not smart enuf to pursue that as a career :( im a physics major and wanted to 2 do research but quickly discovered after a few days in 3000lvl physics classes im not bright enuf to do this for a living. but i dont mind i love science and can easily learn all i want while i hv another job doing watever and i wouldnt hv to get stressed abot writing grants or not being able to figure a prob out so has its pluses

[stanpak007]

I loved you put photo of Thunderf00t at the end of the video! That was so funny!

[N3CR1S]

Good thing then that i just finished two math courses, it appears as though i might need them alot :)

Great video, thanks.

[middlekk]

Lab notebooks? Really?

I would think that the computer would have supplanted the notebook by now.

I'd never make it as a researcher. I can't read my own handwriting...no really. If I let my notes sit more than a day or so, it's perfect gibberish.

[WeekendTuber]

A journal is much easier to take around the lab and it doesn't need electricity.

Furthermore it's easier to quickly write down ideas or observations on paper than with a notebook

[cthulhex]

try a quick doodle expressing an idea in a computer.. kinda' hard

[middlekk]

My doodling is even less legible than my handwriting. Especially as some historical record.

Legible handwriting, legible doodling...that's just not happening. I guess I never would have made it as a researcher.

I have mad skills with words, though. Keeps the mortgage paid.

[grieske]

I do mostly theoretical research, in close collaboration with a PhD student who does mostly experimental work. I don't have lab notebooks, but I do have many documents filled with calculations that I have done over the years.

[tammyscotland]

Yay! Thanks c0nc0rdance, this was just the morale booster I needed today. Now I'm off to learn how to use ATD-GC-MS and be happy thinking I might spend my whole life in that room.

[O2BSoLucky]

A good advert for college students pre University.

[plevyman]

I'm a mathematician - I don't have a lab notebook!

[mafarmerga]

Terrific! This is a really excellent.view of what really goes on.

As a PI I wonder what my lab thinks of me? Angel or Jerk?

As a department head I'm pretty sure what my faculty think of me!! LOL

[SintherX]

Extraordinary ... thank you!

[soulf2]

2:09 Other than the U.S., researchers are often from everywhere else other than the U.S. (except South America). Nope, no researchers come from South America.

[C0nc0rdance]

Crap. Sorry about that. To tell the truth, I was counting off the nationalities of my colleagues and staff, and none of them are from Central or South America.

No slight was intended.

[EtherealN]

But europe and africa isn't nationalities! :P

Although in fairness, just because it's a good development I tend to cite my nationality as "the European Union" when it's practical, instead of Sweden. But I did recently see a talk on TED where a lady from Nigeria (I think it was, memory is good but short) indicated that a big reason why 1st world people have issues dealing with africa is that we tend to view it as a homogenous entity.

That aside, awesome video, thanks. :)

[UnOxonien]

He never said Africa and Europe are nations. :S

[EtherealN]

I fail at life. :)

[UnOxonien]

Lol. =P

[chuckawobbly]

Great 2 part video. It is a shame people attempt to undermine this system with myths.

[WeekendTuber]

The one thing you could have mentioned is the fact that you've to repeat your experiments a lot.

Sometimes to confirm your data but often because somebody got an infection in the incubator again for the million billionth time....

[mattpbent]

very accurate video - well done !

[wtfcecilia]

Very nice :] This is what I plan on goin to school for

[sureup]

Yet another great video :)

[missmaria212]

Thanks for this video. Very interesting, as I'm considering in what direction to head with my education right now...

The end through me off a little, lol ('may god have mercy on your soul!' - if that was a joke I didn't get it)

[Nerusai]

Even going for your PhD is demanding. Expect to be working 72 hours a week, and be paid only a meager wage.

If you don't do it for the eternal glory of elevating mankind, or for the thrill of knowing something no one else does, then research is not for you.

So should you be deranged enough to even desire a research position: Then may god have mercy on your poor soul, for it's akin to paying the price of freedom:

Your every drop of courage, ounce of pain, pint of blood. PAID IN ADVANCE.

[missmaria212]

Way to scare the hell out of me, Nerusai. Lol.

Yeah, I hear it's demanding, but I'd rather do something that pays crap and I LOVE. I love school, and I love science. I could stay in school for my whole life, but unfortunately it costs money.... so I figure if I go into some field of medical research I'll still be learning, and not end up in one of those proffessional fields where I'm cut off from the world... that's my worst fear.

[C0nc0rdance]

Nerusai nailed it. You are looking at an incredibly long road to your first faculty spot. You will need a high tolerance to frustration and stress.

I made a video on "How to Become a Scientist" that you might check out. You are looking at 4-5 years undergrad, 3-7 years grad, 2-10 years post-doc before you can realistically get a faculty job in a university. That's 9-22 years of study. Make sure you are prepared for that kind of commitment before you start out.

Good luck!

[missmaria212]

Thanks. (9-22 years of study, whoa! - it's a good thing I love school...)

[Nerusai]

(1/3) My comment wasn't to scare you, it was more or less a testament to those that went before us. Perhaps before you, very soon. It was just to offset the ever present high personal investment, as per your question, and the comment system simply didn't leave much room to consider the rewards.

[Nerusai]

(2/3) And they are great indeed! Not just for you, but for everyone that comes after you. It is so eloquently put to words in the metaphor "Standing on the shoulders of giants": those that went before and built up the body of knowledge, so that our children might reach out for the stars.

They lent their shoulders to you. Will yours be the shoulders to provide the foundation for the future?

[Nerusai]

(3/3) To me this is the brightness inside the human species. To seek out and to not relent. To quest for better, for more. To never give up. It is my hope that in the end this will forge a new unity, a commonwealth of individuals connected through dreams shared.

But I digress. I salute and recognize your dreams, may they bare fruits that nourish us all.

[missmaria212]

Thanks, Nerusai. And don't worry, you didn't talk me out of it. I know what I'm getting into... and i completely agree with you. You do it to be part of something amazing. To be part of the future, and also to watch it unfold. Rather then reading about it in some old history/science textbook, you get to be there on the front lines when it happens. Any sacrifice is worth that.

Thanks for reminding me. : )

[WeThinkAtheist]

Now featured on the Think Atheist Network! Great showcase! Keep it up!

[FlightIsLife]

This is whats best about youtube... some great insight into a very under-appreciated and little-known world... thanks =)

[MasterOhSo]

Thank you for the education...I have no doubt there are thousands if not millios of people out there who, like me, had no real clear cut understanding of what goes on in the research lab. Great presentation, well balanced and informative. Keep up the good works and peace be with.

[Nogre00]

Awe...you didn't mention undergrads working in labs. I guess I'm lucky to have that kind of chance at my university. Cool videos; 5 stars each!

[lwahlberg100]

That's the kind of stuff I'm interested in. When I was in school (i.e. when I could afford it) I was planning on going for something along the lines of either professorial work or primarily towards lab work in biology. It sounds more and more inviting with these explanations...now if I could only get enough money to get back and finish. -_-;

I'd like that job....working where I am now, I don't use my mind and I'm ready to explode by the end of the day.

[JMelo19]

I love your videos. They are always extremely interesting and informative. They are well thought out and well put together. Thanks for another great one!

[tjd07x]

What a wonderful, original, informative video. 15 mins well spent!

[joswie]

How difficult was it to avoid making a pun about "cultures in the lab"?

[prep4md]

I am a medical student. Wish to do research some day but the back breaking issue for me is math. Thanks for the video. Very informative.

[kabloozie]

I remember going to a friend's physics lab up at Lawrence Berkley - I expected exactly what you said in the first video - clean, tidy, organized. Then I saw the Monster - there was bits of tin foil, scraps, paper, screws, trash - the place looked like someone's really big and really messy garage.

[atomusk2015]

Thank you guys ;)

[Kattarina98]

For all the "thrill of discovery" I still think you are underpaid.

[kleenex3000]

Thank you! I give my testimony out of my personal experience as Biologist in Germany.

The worst part comes when designed publications must be, before actual publication, subjected to the review by scientists from other work groups that compete in the same field who try to detect any lack of evidence and inconsistencies, and demand appropriate corrections if not even additional research / experiments before they finally approve a "paper".

[tattooskin72]

most important point... nobody goes into it for the money.

I get so sick of people saying that the only reason that anyone does anything is out of greed. Most people I know that work in scientific research do it because of a desire for knowledge or because they want to help improve the lives of others. Recognition and money are nice, but saving a family member from suffering with cancer is a better reward.

[Broan13]

Thanks for the push...now im off to the physics GRE...

[lockandkeynes]

do you teach?

[Vault24]

I'm an undergrad in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering and man, do your videos give me motivation! Cheers!

[Thomasfiddle]

So inspireing! Thanks for not keeping all this to yourself. What a good use of the Internet!

[kablamo9999]

Informative and interesting as always, thanks!

[symelian]

great video - for once those who really deserve it get praise ..

[fraterla93y]

Thanks for this, it just makes me all the more motivated to get there.

[buzzausa]

Thank you for giving all of us labrats a moment in the spotlight!

[Dark1777]

Thanks for the video. I'm still an undergrad (biology) but I'm wondering what I want to do after. This is giving me a lot of food for thought to consider.

[ScientiaVeritasEtLux]

I'm really glad you posted this. It is immensely helpful to someone like me who plans on going into a research field similar to the ones you outlined (for me, I'm interested in working at NIAID). I wish I could just sit down with you for an hour and ask you about a hundred questions about undergrad/grad research, and things like that.

[joegocal]

that = my dream job... thanks x1000000 concordance.

[zapo147]

Me too man. I hope I make it! C0nc0rdance is the man.

[gouranga2007]

CC, next research subject; The effects of gods mercy on the human soul..

[Danmill23]

Great choice of topic and a great vid!

[theunraveler]

So what papers have you published so far?

[sofiarune]

Yay lab meetings! We usually had brownies. Doing research really does rock.

[xSilverPhinx]

Thanks for uploading - excellent video.

[blurglide]

I actually learned something from this video- thanks. I should've been a researcher instead of an engineer...I've been thinking that a lot lately. The pay sure is better as an engineer though!

[TZ3k]

Great Vid - I like that you show what goes into being a scientist - including the money and all the hard work and the fact that you need to get results and get published to be considered a *real* researcher.

Do you have any statistics on the amount of money that goes into scientific research from the public vs the private sector? Any info on where most of the productive science is being done (public vs private)... or can u point me in the right direction? - thanks

[sweatytoothmadman]

Does anyone know if thunderf00t has a doctorate?

[1RadicalOne]

Almost certainly.

[C0nc0rdance]

He is a doctorate, he is a scientist, and he has a very strong publication record in his research area.

[MelleB90]

Thanks very much for these brilliant videos.

I'm studying medicine at the moment and hope to be able to do research someday...

[chstoney]

I would almost certainly bet, that he is eihter chemist, or nuclear physicist, or combination of both :) I am almost certain that he is not biologist.

No need to confirm or disagree :) Although I would certainly like to know the answer, I respect Tf00t's wish to keep this kind of information private.

But I have question anyway. Are you two colleagues or did you study together? I bet you know each other personally pretty well.

_________

Supertb vids btw. I really appreciate them.

[C0nc0rdance]

No, I've never met him.  Just emails.

[Turandot29]

I am also a long time subscriber to T'Foot. In fact, it was upon his recommendation that I found your channel, C0nc0rdance. I was wondering exactly what T'foot's area of expertise is. Can you elucidate?

[MelleB90]

I _think_ it's biochemistry but I wouldn't know for sure.

[GRNoam]

FIRST! -- is this that rush you were talking about :)

[vibrant151]

no,!!!!

[GRNoam]

yeah, what was I thinking... how could the rush of scientific discovery come even close to the rush of being FIRST on a youtube video.

[adamredwine]

Yeah... getting to the bit about the "rewards" of research reminds me why I have done everything to avoid doing it. I'm glad to know there are people who actually enjoy doing that. Want to finish my thesis for me?

[no1saphead]

Good lord no wonder I went into mechanics.

[PikminDS]

very informative video. it shouldn't be long and i'll be going back to school and going into a biology course. this really helps me to understand if i really want to do it or not.