There is a certain joy that all researchers must feel when finally beginning to generate their own data. Well, I am now, happily, feeling that joy.
OK, I’m not actually generating the data – more like the Isoprime is doing the heavy lifting, my advisor is doing 90% of the button pushing, and I’m an active observer, but this is simply the final stage of a long process:
- Washing, drying and preparing samples.
- Picking forams.
- Weighing the individuals (yes, weighing a foram, which weighs anywhere from 7.5-25ug)
- Packaging the individuals and the standards
So it’s not exactly like I’m an observer, but I do observe the running of the samples (there are many reasons for that which i will ignore for now).
What is funny is that the vast majority of the work that’s been done so far has been “grunt work” – actually, an awful awful lot of weighing of single forams. For something that’s the size of a large grain of sand, that’s not exactly the fastest process. But then again, it’s that part of it? The process? The painstaking, meticulous work that most people simply can’t/won’t do that separates those that even try this sort of thing? Funny thing – it’s usually one of the best, most relaxing parts of my day, the zen of looking into the scope at the forams.
