VWXYNot? Comment(s) of the week:
Nina and Grant for the following exchange: Nina: "Life should be a conference, everyone wearing nametags all the time, with their first name, last name, nickname, country of origin and country of residence. Birthdate optional."
Grant: Nina, I’m sure tech types will suggest we’ll all be bumping cell phones to exchange names in a few years. (Eurgh.)
One more: you know that thing where the person can’t quite read your name tag and leans in close over your chest to read it…
Nina: "ok, how about tattooing your name onto your forehead?"
Grant: "How about a sub-dermal name implant invisible when not active that glows when triggered by trained neural signals beaming your name to the people opposite you?
Failing that we could all wear electrode scalp caps that carry a flip up sign… (Taking as my cue the brain-computer interfaces emotiv and others are marketing.)"
[NB as a chronic tartler, I approve of all the above methods]
Alyssa for "It’s cloudy again
We see it’s cold and dreary
But – we have windows!!!"
Ricardipus for "Bugger me, the grant’s
Finally done. Thank goodness.
Now back to fun stuff."
Bean-mom for "I just clicked on the article on circular RNAs–I’d seen the headline earlier but hadn’t yet read it–and just as I expected, I’m all WTF?! MicroRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, now we’ve got circular RNAs. . . I feel like someone should just write a review titled, “RNA: WTF?”"
Nina again for "edit: my advisor has improved his standing desk further by standing on a wooden board that balances on a small (but sturdy) plastic tube, to make him wobble while standing, so to keep working those balancing muscles, or something like that. The tube comes from one of my experiments. I will miss that “wtf I’ll create my own standing desk – pilates work-out” attitude, I must admit."
Bob O'H for "Reminds me of my youth playing boardgames. There was one called Civilisation, which a friend described as “almost as long as the real thing”."
Chall "it surely looks like the Leafs MIGHT go to play offs for the first time in 7 years…. if I didn’t jinx it by saying it here of course. That said, I find myself wondering how bad it will be to end 5th place if Boston stays 4th. It sort of feels better to play the 3rd (Capitals right now) than Bruins but right now I’ll settle for PLAYOFFS and miracle :)"
[the Leafs making the playoffs is a miracle indeed]
KJHaxton for "Good question! I’d put:
– occasional baker of cakes for meetings
– fair to moderate tolerance for bullshit
– low tolerance for unfairness and willing to get very cross about it (folds arms and glowers at the screen)
– best selection of tea bags in desk drawer (8 kinds at last count)
– prone to wearing scarves and shirts that don’t match
Ah well, I’m not sure I’d find a new job on the basis of those :)"
Ricardipus again for "Pros:
- rarely swears in public
- has few friends, so unlikely to have loud, belly-laughing conversations on phone or in person
- capable of speaking at length about (a) race cars, (b) cameras, or (c) bad science
Cons:
- occasionally swears in public
- has few friends, so likely to have poor social interactions with co-workers
- capable of speaking at length about (a) race cars, (b) cameras, or (c) bad science
I’d also probably include “easily suckered into serving on irrelevant committees” into each category, too."
Bean-mom again for "–Friendly.
–Doesn’t bake, but if you have a potluck I’ll bring killer spring rolls (both crispy fried pork ones, and the vegetarian fresh rice-paper ones).
–Doesn’t bake, but husband bakes. Occasionally, you may be a recipient of his talent.
–Will cheerfully listen to other people’s dramas, but won’t cause any of my own. Not at work, anyway."
and Nina yet again for "As I may have mentioned before, I’m pretty sure my cv point “Love baking (chocolate) cakes” earned me my PhD position, and it definitely often raised questions in interviews (“so, how often do you bake cake? What kind of chocolate do you use?”)"
Post(s) of the Week: Beth Snow for "Modern conveniences" (how on earth did we survive, let alone study and write theses, before Skype and cloud computing?!)
Steve Caplan for "Science education: the generalist vs the specialist" (are 3 year or 4 year degrees better for students?)
Bean-mom for "Leaving scientific research... again" (science SUCKS sometimes)
Eva Amsen, writing at the Occam's Typewriter Irregulars for "The two ideas to fix the gender balance that do not make me cringe" (the panel pledge and the Finkbeiner test)
Bob O'Hara for "Making reviewing boring stuff less boring" (would a stripped-down manuscript format work better for the, um, less exciting papers out there?)
Alyssa for "Just the pants, thanks" (absolutely hilarious take on the modern clothes shopping experience)
Eva Amsen again for "My self-updating address book" (how LinkedIn can be useful)
CromerCrox for "Plagues" (how's God been cursing you lately?)
Prof-like Substance for "If you don't talk to your kids about it someone else will" (anticipating school-yard talk about religion and other big issues)
and CromerCrox again for "Conferences" (the problem of sexism at conferences)
Archives:
October 2008 - March 2009; April 2009 - September 2009; October 2009 - March 2010; April 2010 - September 2010; October 2010 - February 2011; March 2011 - September 2011; October 2011 - March 2012; April 2012 - September 2012; October 2012 - March 2013; April 2013 - September 2013
Pingback: Journals and personalities | misc.ience
Hey Cath
What a wonderful thought! And no, I don’t think it’s weird at all. Well, not for me, but then I anthropomorphise _everything_ (it’s a large part of why I’m not a roboticist)
Also, a link to my blog post talking about your idea, and asking what personalities people would ascribe, amongst other questions. Just in case your readers are interested
http://misc-ience.co.nz/2013/02/20/journals-and-personalities/
Yeah, I bet the International Journal of Robotics Research never anthropomorphises anything.
Actually, although I’ve never read it, I kinda picture the International Journal of Robotics Research as Sheldon Cooper…
I just hope you’re not too palsy with The Journal of Irreproducible Results
I wouldn’t say we’re pals, but what a useful person to know! Always there for you in a crisis.
The Journal of Negative Results is the one sat in a corner quietly crying to itself.
C/N/S are like that group of hipsters who are are always saying “Oh, you just heard of that? We though that was cool a few months ago, but now we’re over it.”
Years (decades?) ago someone did a famous spoof of the title and contents page of Cell along these lines. It was called Cool. Can’t find a version online anywhere.
BTW, within physiology/pharmacology, the subgroup who are most recognised for projecting a ‘hipster in-crowd’ vibe/ethos are most definitely the neuroscience people, with the key journal of the tendency being Neuron.
Pingback: What’s your favorite journal like as a friend? | Prof-Like Substance
Genetics drones on and on … doesn’t seem to notice when people look away uncomfortably
PNAS is the aging hipster who’s trying too hard to be cool, can’t seem to keep up with C/N/S
EMBO J is a French guy smoking a cigarette who swears a lot (alright, that’s just a stereotype)
Loving PNAS and EMBO J!
Acta Cryst D is that somewhat Asperger’s German postdoc who collars you at the lab party and explains his latest tiny extension to Molscript in exquisite and interminable detail.
I prefer hanging out with EMBO J’s younger brother, EMBO Reports. Less cigarette smoke, and he always serves very tasty canapes.
…and, from my own past, Digestive Diseases is that person who shows up at a party and tells anecdotes that make everyone squirm and try to leave the room.
The Lancet, on the other hand, is the Oxbridge-educated, insanely wealthy neurosurgeon who belongs to a club that you can’t get into, because he (definitely a “he”) secretly blackballs your application every.single.time.
Lancet Oncology is much the same, although he (again, definitely a he) will at least deign to pretend to listen to you first…
I think that should read ‘public school and Oxbridge educated’. I am often amazed by how frighteningly posh the Profs and high-flying research types in medicine are, much more so that the basic scientists (at least in my experience).
I think I caught The American Naturalist dribbling into its tea.
At least it wasn’t The American Naturist
This is excellent – thanks all! I read all these comments before getting up this morning and have to say that it’s very nice to start your day lying in bed giggling to yourself!
J Biol Chem is that old, respected prof who should probably have retired 20 years ago, but to whom everyone defers… inexplicably, because when you actually listen to what he’s saying you realize he’s been talking complete bullshit for 20 years.
J Mol Biol is the lab technician who’s been around forever and although never comes to lab parties always knows exactly where every reagent is kept and what it’s used for.
I would add that JMB is generous enough to give time and space to explain things and share thoughts about the topic.
(I would have JMB as the hands-on scientist rather than a technician, but what gives?)
The Journal of Experimental Biology is a big, excitable and beardy bear of a man in his twenties who entertains everyone with his new designs for paper planes.
Which makes Medical Hypotheses the nutter on the bus, yeah?
Definitely. The one that talks on about Jesus, or CIA mind control, or vaccines. Tinfoil hat a likely accessory.
That sounds like the JEB. Thanks for defining our personality!
*laughs*
J Neurosci is like that too old to still be a bruh PI creepin all the youngsters out at SfN socials…and he still has nothing good to say… :X
thanks 4 the giggles!!
PLoS One is this gangling teenager, lots of acne, but wanting to be friends with everyone at all cost
Or, preferably, at no cost.
Or possibly a large, happy, bouncy dog. Maybe a golden retriever.
And then there’s Diseases of the Colon and Rectum, the ancient forensic pathologist who works the night shift in the morgue, and mutters worryingly about encrustations, contusions, and less savoury things.
N/S are Richard Branson and Donald Trump
Surely Trump’s more like that brand new journal that was created specifically to publish the alleged Sasquatch genome?
Nature Neuroscience is young, overexcitable, and desperate to be considered as cool as his big brother Neuron. As a result, he frequently does inane things.
Loose thought: I wonder to what extent the personality of the journals and the senior editors match…? (Boy, is this going to get me into trouble…)
That could explain why nobody has mentioned Methods in Ecology & Evolution: they’re all just too in awe of it.
nope – I don’t think it is normal at all…. Nature you minx who always shuns me -
Pingback: Bragging Rights Central archive, Oct 2012 – Mar 2013 | VWXYNot?
Oh, this is excellent – both Genome Research and Current Biology have tweeted this link! Both seem quite happy with their assigned personalities… wonder if we’ll be hearing from NAR, JBC, and some of the others…
and J Exp Biol, too
I only anthromophosize numbers, so to me, just a journal’s impact factor is what counts. The modest Plant and Soil’s 2.7 being number 2 compared to Soil Biology and Biochemistry’s arrogant 3.5. That kind of thing. And then the snobby ecology journals who have higher IF’s just because there are more ecologists than soil scientists. Ecology Letters with 17.557! All those 5′s and 7′s, a horrid combination.
Don’t worry – you can still look down on plant pathologists.
really? give me the numbers … Although I’m quite fond of 1 and 0, they’re such loners, after all…
Nina, it sounds like you really do have some kind of synesthesia! That is so cool – every time I read or hear about it, I wish my brain did cool things like give numbers personalities or assign colours to different letters of the alphabet.
Cath, I thought we had this discussion on your blog a few years ago, and I thought VERYBODY here is synesthetic?! Don’t let me down …
However, does it count that I dislike “5″ because of childhood trauma? Or is that another psychological disorder?
Geez, am I supposed to remember everything that’s ever happened on my blog now?! I can’t even remember names!
(Googled it. No luck. Do you remember anything about the original post?)
gee, well, I’m getting older too, perhaps it was on good old EGF’s blog… But I associate it strongly with you for some reason.
I’m smelling a three, a three dog night. I too am blessed with synesthesia my favorite tasting number is Pi
Heh!