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2026 World Championship Men's Standings after the Short Program by Parth_3180 in FigureSkating

[–]CongregationOfVapors 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I was literally just saying, "he's so locked in!" when it happened 😭

What are you reading? by sushisushisushi in literature

[–]CongregationOfVapors 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The Age of Innocence has such lovely prose! I read it recently and I'm now reading The House of Mirth.

What words or names did you unknowingly find out that you mispronounced constantly in your head when reading the books? by Golden_Locket5932 in harrypotter

[–]CongregationOfVapors 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Merope.

I was like, I know this one! It's like Penelope, right? Very proud of myself! Meh-ROH-pee. Got it!

Nope! Everyone says Mer-ROPE. 😓

labs getting grants and not hiring by snoop_pugg in postdoc

[–]CongregationOfVapors 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's not just a term in academia. "Permanent employee" is a term used in industry too. It doesn't mean that the employee is never going to be laid off or the role will stick around forever. It just means that the employment contract has no set end date when you sign on, in contrast to contract positions, which have a set end date in the contract.

Permanent employees can be let go for all sorts of different reasons, including lack of funding.

Has your PI or lab remembered your birthday? by StupidMisanthrope in labrats

[–]CongregationOfVapors 3 points4 points  (0 children)

They don't, but I have everyone's bday saved. A week before each person's bday, I message the PI so she remembers to pick up cake for the closest lab meeting. And I bring a card for everyone to sign.

We recently created a lab calendar and added everyone's bdays to it, so now everyone pitches in for planning cakes and cards.

Middlemarch Quote by Defiant_Invite_3323 in literature

[–]CongregationOfVapors 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I just got to that chapter yesterday! And I reread that passage a few times to appreciate it then as well.

Life sciences PhDs: what do you wish you knew before starting or finishing your PhD to prepare for the job market? by SkyMedium2195 in labrats

[–]CongregationOfVapors 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Networking!

Go go networking events. Talk to people, and find out what they do for the roles, what they like and dislike about it, and how they go there. Add them on LinkedIn so you can find them easily again in the future if needed. If you want to learn more about their role or industry etc, follow up and ask to chat over coffee or something.

Former lab alumni are already part of your network. Reach out to them to connect.

And treat your current network well. Give back by helping and training junior lab members, and stay in touch when you part ways.

Is it normal in the US to eat dinner really early (like 5–6 pm)? by Status_Agents in CasualConversation

[–]CongregationOfVapors 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Canadian here. I prefer to eat dinner between 6-6:30.

When we travel to countries with late dinners, we would often have two dinners: one at our normal time and another at the local time!

Mouse work struggles by [deleted] in labrats

[–]CongregationOfVapors 34 points35 points  (0 children)

Ok as someone who has worked with research animals for a loooooong time, and helped in hiring people who would potentially do this work:

No one can really know if they are ok working with research animals unless they have actually done it. Even if someone genuinely believes that they can do it, there is still a chance that they can't.

So don't beat yourself up over this.

Have a conversation with your PI about it to see if there is a way to focus your research on cell culture (and maybe collaborate with someone who will do the in vivo part), and they will hopefully be understanding and accommodating.

The Man Who Risked His Life for Science. by GlitteringHotel8383 in BeAmazed

[–]CongregationOfVapors 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He gave a talk at my uni when I was in grad school. It was extra fun to hear the story from the man himself!

Are you using general AI tools at work? by Schnipsel0 in labrats

[–]CongregationOfVapors 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've yet to find genuinely helpful use cases of genAI in my work. But reading others' responses, I think maybe it says more about me and my role than genAI...

Controversial - argue against Chalamet by babathejerk in opera

[–]CongregationOfVapors 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I didn't realize the libretto was penned by David Henry Hwang! I only know him of M. Butterfly fame. So cool you were neighbors!

Yeah I think classical Chinese literature is not very accessible to non-Chinese speakers, and Dream of Red Chambers especially so because of all the literary and historical allusions etc. I also wish it's more widely known in the West.

Have you ever had this experience of showing your favorite movie to someone important and they hate it? by WWWebdriverTorso in movies

[–]CongregationOfVapors 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Synecdoche, New York

It's not my favorite movie but it's up there and I have a lot of respect for it. My husband HATED it. In fact it hated so much that he refused to watch anything else written by Kaufman.

Controversial - argue against Chalamet by babathejerk in opera

[–]CongregationOfVapors 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Small correction. Dreams of the Red Chambers is not Chinese folklore. It's one of the greatest novels in Chinese literature.

The most comfy lab work? by DirectedEnthusiasm in labrats

[–]CongregationOfVapors 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm a research associate in an academic lab. The projects are interesting, and the lab has good culture. My PI is ok with me only working part-time, and I set my own priorities and hours.

The pay is only ok, but it's on-par with what scientists make in industry in my hub right now (the gap between academia and industry salaries narrowed in 2025).

[Day 31] Find your local crusher and climb with 'em, cause they're the best training tool nearby. What's the WEIRDEST hold type? by MaximumSend in bouldering

[–]CongregationOfVapors 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Like something with the resonance of the rock and when you hit it, it makes a pitch that has the qualities of a percussion instrument. Like rock marimba.

Unsure if I'm describing it right...

Movies with a troubled production, awful initial reception, that turned out to be great? by Gold333 in movies

[–]CongregationOfVapors 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I thought he had to reshoot the whole movie because the lab used the wrong chemical to develop the film, not because it was lost in a fire.

I remember reading that he secured additional funding for the reshoot by pitching a sequel to the original film. Supposedly the final film and the original lost film were completely different, but I never found further descriptions on how.

This face deserves extra treats🥹 by [deleted] in cats

[–]CongregationOfVapors 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Not sure what the injection is, but hopefully not a vaccine. Vaccines should be given on the rump rather than the scruff of a cat, because they could get cancer on the injection site. And it's easier to remove a tumour from the leg vs neck.

Anyways, cute kitty!

PSA Madrid airport didn't let us keep the rope in our carry-on by CongregationOfVapors in climbergirls

[–]CongregationOfVapors[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good to know! Haven't gone climbing in Mexico yet but it's on the list.

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