Comments on: Relax, Young Physicists; Relax

By: Nils

Nils — Sat, 07 Jan 2006 18:49:25 +0000

Unfortunately these crazy hour working is not limited to research in the US. Working as a physicist at one of europe’s particle accelerators most of our senior people and some of the more junior people work all days, spending a lot more than 60 hours per week on the job. Most of the time they are working highly unefficient, a lot of time goes away in unneccessary meetings. As most of them limit their social life also to their colleagues, they basically never leave work.

In my experience this is dangerous. You stay with your ideas, your creativity is very limited. I get my best Ideas, when I am not working or after I spent some time doing something else. Staying within your working environment prevents you from getting a fresh view on your tasks.

And having tried both, working crazy hours and working with taking time off inbetween, I think I am doing more and better work with the latter.

Physics is interesting, can be fun, can provide humanity with important knowledge, but there is more to life… (at least I hope;-) )

By: citrine

citrine — Mon, 02 Jan 2006 02:00:06 +0000

Juan,

I don’t see Sean’s or Mark’s comments as suggesting that we party instead of working hard. I think the point of this posting is that we should take a little time off now and then to maintain our sanity and recharge our batteries (neurons?).

By: Alejandro Rivero

Alejandro Rivero — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:19:47 +0000

Sean, the point is that by suggesting students to relax from the job, you are implying it is a job.

By: El último hovercraft » Campanadas en un VAX

El último hovercraft » Campanadas en un VAX — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:15:12 +0000

[...] Me ha venido a la memoria por dos motivos. Uno, que con los rollos de la compilacion cruzada para ARM se me esta viniendo la madrugada tambien. Dos, que hace poco lei un desafortunado mensaje de un cosmologo donde recomendaba a los estudiantes de doctorado que se tomaran sus tesis y postdocs como un trabajo. Y que por tanto tuvieran horarios y vacaciones y todo eso que es necesario que tenga un trabajo… [...]

By: Juan

Juan — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 02:57:01 +0000

OK, I will take my words back. Should not be a tatoo, but instead seared on the buttocks, font size allowing.

Sean, for xst sake, you got me blogging and enjoying it, gotta stop this madness!

ALL THE BEST FOR 2006!!!

By: Sean

Sean — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 21:29:52 +0000

Juan, you are crazy (as you know). It’s good that crazy people like you exist, but I don’t want to be one of them. You think I am working hard at science for the common good? I’m here because I love doing research, but I love other things too. It really is possible to be a good scientist and also enjoy your life — I would recommend it without apology.

By: Juan

Juan — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 20:41:41 +0000

Or, in more tragic words:

http://www.bartleby.com/250/171.html

PS: A tatoo of these should be made a requirement for admission to graduate schools in physics. In a perfect world.

Just being facetious. Maybe not.

By: Juan

Juan — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 20:20:14 +0000

Sounds like you are suggesting rearing a generation of, if I may use the British term, wankers.

There is a reason why the US is and hopefully shall remain the leader in science and technology (among other fronts). In this country we are defined by our jobs, so much more than anywhere else on Earth. Ergomania can be looked at as a virtue or defect of character, and you and I evidently strongly disagree on the point.

You describe the “crazy hours” as a mere facade. I am convinced that this is not true. The reason being that I was born an eurobranleur myself, having pulled my hair out -professionally speaking- in no less than three European countries, surrounded by masses of bon viveurs. Manhana, manhana, tomorrow.

Look at it from another angle. The hours you spend on this planet as a diletantte profit you and maybe (not necessarily) your innermost circle. The “crazy hours” spent on science are all for the common good.

I think you are doing your students an disfavor in trying to pass on this attitude. Unless they can all find jobs in Europe.

By: Julianne

Julianne — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 02:28:25 +0000

Katherine — My advice is to measure your time by goals rather than hours. What your advisor wants to see is scientific progress. If my students show me a steady stream of interesting, well-thought out plots and demonstrate that they’re thinking about the results, I don’t care if it took them 4 hours a day or 16 hours a day to get there. On the other hand, if they’re spinning their wheels, mostly doing small incremental things without focussing on the science, I don’t care if they spent 20 hours a day — they’re just drifting and I’d much rather they get something solid done. If you don’t feel yourself pushing towards some publishable result, then you might need to alter your style of work, which is not the same as “working harder”.

But that’s just me. Your advisor might just be a freak!

By: Katherine

Katherine — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 15:59:25 +0000

Hey Mark -

I am a grad student and am definitely guilty of working too hard. How does one share this enlightened point of view with an overexcited advisor who believes that a work day is not successful unless you have worked 16 hours. How do I reclaim my relaxation time?