Category Archives: Silliness

In which it all goes a bit Hitchcock

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Jennifer Rohn

As I approach the door and reach for the knob, I find that my heart rate has accelerated. Behind me, one of our research nurses cowers a few paces back: she needs to get inside, but – quite understandably – … Continue reading →

Posted in Silliness, The profession of science | 12 Comments

In which we make a mess of things

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Jennifer Rohn

As a rule, when I’m trying to be creative, I have a hard time focusing if my workspace is not pristine and well-ordered. This holds true whether I’m working on a novel at my desk or performing an experiment on … Continue reading →

Posted in Nostalgia, Scientific method, Silliness | 6 Comments

In which I powder my nose

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

It’s rather disconcerting to enter a stall in a public lavatory, sit down – and see your own name staring back at you on the inner door advertising. Does this mean I’ve really hit the big-time? /Ducks in preparation for … Continue reading →

Posted in LabLit, Silliness, Writing | 5 Comments

In which they don’t make ‘em like they used to

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

One of the annoying things about getting old is resenting change. So when you’re a scientist, it doesn’t help that the lab environment is one of the most mutable places on earth. New technology emerges all the time, and our … Continue reading →

Posted in Silliness, The profession of science | 11 Comments

In which necessity’s a MoFo

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

Reality check and status update: I’m still a lab head, and I’m still poor. But after knocking around in this new position for nearly three months, I have to admit that it’s rather good fun being poor. When you lack … Continue reading →

Posted in Scientific method, Silliness | 16 Comments

In which the light bulb’s on the other foot

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

Following on from a discussion about light bulb changing jokes, I was bustling around my lab this morning, getting ready to cryogenically preserve some backups of my new bladder epithelial cell line. I was all set: I’d ordered the Mr … Continue reading →

Posted in Scientific method, Silliness, The profession of science | 10 Comments

In which we are the last man standing

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

You know it’s the last day before Christmas break when: 1. All of the communal microscopes are free, so you can run lots of parallel experiments. 2. Whenever you enter a room or corridor, the automatic lights flicker on. 3. … Continue reading →

Posted in Silliness, The profession of science | 4 Comments

In which we down a few

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

It seems like only yesterday that Nature Network, in what struck me as a bizarre fit of misplaced paranoia and pettiness, locked some of its most popular bloggers out of their own sites, preventing them from posting their own farewell … Continue reading →

Posted in Silliness | 14 Comments

In which signaling takes the cake

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

Champagne in plastic cups after a successful PhD viva is still a classic, but you don’t often see labmates getting together to recreate one of your prettiest thesis figures in cake format. Congratulations, James!

Posted in Silliness, The profession of science | 9 Comments

In which my vibration woes deepen

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

The plot thickens. For those of you who have been dangling in urgent uncertainty, I can report that the vibration problem in our incubator has not gone away. I thought I’d get around it by using smaller, non-round vessels, such … Continue reading →

Posted in Silliness, The profession of science | 17 Comments