I just spent an excruciating hour listening, well, sort of listening, to LB's data club. Which of course, contained no real data of value. He spent the entire hour showing other peoples' work, with some his own, and explaining how his vaccination study didn't work.
Since when is it appropriate to give a presentation of your data, while sitting cross-legged on a table, calling your boss the fearless leader? Data club is supposed to be casual but people at least try to act professional about what they are presenting.
He took credit for a lot of work he didn't do. In fact, he talked about how this construct and virus he made was what he was most proud of in his project. He didn't have anything to do with it! He couldn't clone if his life depended on it. Someone in another lab and Ding made all of his stuff. Data club is a place were ideas are tossed around, suggestions made, stuff like that. Several people were trying to figure out why he got the results he did and what it all meant. When it can be interpreted because you can't conclude anything from a study where the administered vaccine wasn't titered and the drug therapy was miscalculated. Geeka and her boss kept asking him questions trying to expose how much of an idiot he is. It was amusing at least. He couldn't even answer the question about what kind of cell types had the receptor for the cytokine he was using.
It's amazing how my anxiety physically increases when I hear him talk. I mean, I can feel my pulse go up. And an hour was almost intolerable. I wouldn't have been there except I had to escort the new postdoc and I wasn't going to leave early because Geeka came to keep me company. However, it would have been amusing if both her and I and her boss all left at the same time.
FD has some good suggestions for LB to do for his project. The problem is, it actually involves work and LB doesn't do work. In the past 3-4 weeks he's only been lab 3 times, and not to actually do work.
Kiwi wasn't even there, he had a biosafety meeting to attend. But apparently that pissed of some faculty who were there. It looks really bad when the PI isn't present for his own student's presentation.
Geeka and I said in our next data club we should show the mounds of data we have of stuff that hasn't worked, and title it "Can I get a Ph.D. with this?" A professor I talked to with a great sense of humor said "At last, an honest presentaion title."
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You should take up knitting. Seriously. That's what I do during lab meetings, journal clubs, data clubs, seminars. People look at you funny in the beginning and then they just stop noticing. It's very relaxing and if the presentation sucks, at least it hasn't been a complete waste of time.
ReplyDeleteI thought you used your time rather well by showing LB that he knows squat. It might not have been an hour lost after all! :)
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of "Can I get a PhD with this?" title! For a moment I entertained the idea of using it for my upcoming talk, but my main adviser has no sense of humor so it might turn out catastrophic...
Sorry to bash knitting during the seminars, but as much as I love knitting and its calming effects, I think doing it during talks and seminars is quite unprofessional and even disrespectful to the speaker. Just in my opinion...
I think it depends on what kind of knitting. I do counted-crossing stitching and that takes too much concentration to pay any attention to the speaker. But I know a lot people who crochet but can still pay attention to what's going on around them.
ReplyDeleteI must admit, even though I felt it was a waste of time, it was a bit amusing. I guess the irritating part is that I know, in the end, no matter how crappy his stuff is, he will still get the same degree as me.
And as for that title, that same faculty member above said that being that it is an honest title, the department would never let me use it! And what would I do if they said no, I don't have enough!
hi ImageGoddess!
ReplyDeleteWow, how similar of an experience are we having. In my first semester 2 of my classmates were held like if they were made of gold while me and another classmate wondered what did all the professors saw in those two.
I mean these people couldn't tell a lion from an elephant.
I kept telling my friend, "Don't worry the shit will hit their fan sooner or later". And it has begun.
They've looked so stupid so many times and some of the professors have even implied it to their faces in front of the rest of us.
I guess all I am trying to say is that when you don't know your stuff, and you don't make an effort to learn it people will realize you are full of *#!-^ (stuff)! :)
Oh by the way I've known a few people who have gotten FIRED for knitting in science meetings (at least)such as lab meetings or department meetings. I love knitting but I sure would NOT risk it.
I hope his being an idiot and liar will catch up with him, but right now, I just don't think so. Not with our boss covering for him like he does. Kiwi is even writing his paper for him.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe someone actually got fired for that! That seems so extreme.
And I'm sorry you are experiencing the same thing I am. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. I just hope your PI didn't try to get rid of you like mine did to me.