I mentioned yesterday that this week I have been in the deepest, hottest (literally and figuratively) part of the south visiting an MRU to study for the week. I was invited here to learn a particular technique used at this MRU that I think is going to change how we do things in our laboratory for the better. We do a lot of novel things, but there are some things that are done at this MRU that, as I mentioned, are absolutely outstanding. Still, I learned during this visit that there are a couple of things about being a scientist that I still haven't gotten used to.
When I arrived, my host took me around the department and introduced me to faculty. One of the faculty here is a real giant, regarded as the leader in his field based on his own research, and is highly regarded for the quality of his scientific progeny. At each office my host introduced me to the occupant as the "leading expert" in what I study, including to the giant. As it happened I felt silly and insignificant, as though being called an "expert" in anything standing next to this man was merely making parody of the word. Later, when I went running alone, I got to thinking about it some more and remembered that the person who trained me has retired and largely left the scientific community. I suppose that makes me the expert by default. That is a scary thought because the "leading expert" in her field got dressed in the dark this morning and spent the entire day with her underpants on inside out and backwards, wondering why she was uncomfortable. It is terrifying to think that anyone would listen to the recommendations of a woman, who with 8+ years of training in a field, becomes the "leading expert" but after 30+ years of experience still cannot master underpants.
Comments
1. You remembered to pack the underpants.
2. You put the underpants on.
3. No one else knew about this... until now.
Unless Victoria's Secret sponsors "Female Rock Stars of Science" you have nothing to worry about. If they do, well, bring someone along to make sure you get the wardrobe right;)
Besides, your shoes were hot, so nobody would have noticed if you wore your whole outfit inside-out!
Posted by: Pascale | June 26, 2009 10:28 PM
Ditto what Pascale said!
Posted by: Mimi | June 26, 2009 10:33 PM
Comrade PhysioProf does not have to worry about this problem.
Posted by: Comrade PhysioProf | June 26, 2009 10:55 PM
So Comrade PhysioProf could be Commando PhysioProf???
Posted by: Pascale | June 26, 2009 11:31 PM
... I heard that Einstein used to wear odd socks .... or not KNOW if he wore odd socks ... I don't think anyone knows which way around his underpants were .... and I THINK people still respected his science, didn't they?
... and as Pascale said, your shoes are hotter than his were - I'm pretty SURE his were not very hot.
d.
Posted by: d. | June 27, 2009 12:28 AM
wow. I think I showed up to teach once wearing one each of two different pairs of shoes. I, too, was getting dressed in the dark, and they looked similar enough to make that mistake in said darkness. I fear I may now feel the wrath of Isis, however, since this seems like a cardinal sin in her demesne! I cower before you, begging for mercy. Besides, that was like 6 years ago...
Posted by: minerva | June 27, 2009 1:51 AM
I have spent the day, on more then one occasion wearing odd earrings... and I probably didn't even get dressed in the dark. At least no-one would have noticed an odd underpant configuration!
Posted by: angela | June 27, 2009 4:04 AM
I can relate. When I was named the "leading expert" in a particular field of work in my company (not science, marketing... unfortunately) I remember feeling particularly absurd. Although this was nothing compared to the absurdity I felt when I realized that I actually was the expert! Something akin to "you mean you honestly know less about this than the guy with toothpaste stain all down his sleeve?" (me)
Posted by: SwindleMonkey | June 27, 2009 8:17 AM
I may be totally ignorant, but WHY was anyone getting dressed in the dark?
d.
Posted by: d. | June 27, 2009 8:26 AM
Now THAT is an excellent question! To be honest, it was just too darned early and I was too darned acclimated to the dark to burn my retinas with light. So, I showered and dressed in the dark.
Also, can we agree that any comments that require me to ponder PhysioProf's lack of underpants will be deleted, no questions asked?
Posted by: Isis the Scientist | June 27, 2009 8:34 AM
yup. the one that trained you is retired, the ones that read your papers ask you to write book chapters, you get introduced as "the expert" and before you know it, you'll be on the hiring committee evaluating somebody trained by one of your former postdocs. The hot shoes can keep this at bay only so long. run faster.
Posted by: David | June 27, 2009 12:13 PM
I spent the entire day once wearing only one hoop earring. I still wonder why no one told me I looked like a pirate.
Posted by: random postdoc | June 27, 2009 7:38 PM
Although my "expertise" is limited to cleaning up shit and watching people die, I will tell you that one day I worked for a full fourteen hours wearing two completely different shoes. One was a shiny white, mesh, running shoe (Saucony) and the other was a brown and black walking shoe (Boost). I didn't even notice until it was almost time to leave. The sad part? NOBODY noticed.
Posted by: Catharine | June 27, 2009 8:11 PM
I know, right? I am not any kind of Leading Expert except to my own personal children and students, and it's a bloody good thing because I asked my children out loud the other day while I was on the phone where my danged phone was...yes. The person on the other end of the line and the children had a good laugh at MFA Mama, oh yes they did. Curses.
Posted by: MFA Mama | June 28, 2009 11:17 AM
It is no crime for a scientist to dress in the dark or get his/her clothing wrong. After all, our minds are on more important and esoteric things, right? Right??? Besides, no one was introducing you as the underpants expert. If you worked at Vogue, it'd be a different story.
Posted by: Julia | June 28, 2009 11:37 AM
But if she *were* the underpants expert at Vogue, you know damn well that if she came to a talk with her underpants on backwards and inside out, we'd all be under pressure to follow the new underpants trend.
Posted by: Sisyphus | June 28, 2009 12:12 PM
See?!?! Now I believe we are getting somewhere productive in this conversation.
I believe I may need to start wearing thong underewear. That way it will be much more apparent when I am backwards.
Posted by: Isis the Scientist | June 28, 2009 12:16 PM
...
@ Pascale, No. 4.
...smalllol...
Yes, this was established to the dismay of many and most some time ago.
Now the trauma of that thought has resurfaced...
...tom...
.
Posted by: ...tom... | June 28, 2009 9:16 PM
My apologies for bringing the bare, ugly truth to the surface again. I realize some images, even if never actually seen, burn into your retinas and refuse to leave...
I am reminded by this discussion of the time I went to a party for the department my husband was in at the time. All of the men were wearing black pants with brown socks. I told my husband I wouldn't trust anyone dressed like that with my checkbook, let alone a million dollar grant. I assured him that I would provide supervision for his (lack of) fashion sense.
He still periodically goes out and buys inexplicable items (the sweater-vest incident comes to mind), but at least his socks ALWAYS coordinate with his trousers.
He does wear underwear;)
Posted by: Pascale | June 29, 2009 10:36 AM
Re: Catherine and Random Postdoc - that is one of my biggest pet peeves. Is there anyone who has never had the proverbial salad stuck in their teeth at one point or another and didn't discover this until much, much later after talking and meeting with countless people??!!
I often wonder about these situations, and wonder what kind of person would NOT point out something as obvious as mismatched shoes/an open fly/food in teeth upon noticing it.
Granted, I'm willing to assume not everyone notices these things, but surely some do. And so I wonder, do those people really think they're being courteous or nice by making the 'offender' feel like a total jackass? There is nothing courteous about that. Can they really take seriously anything that someone says with the shell of a black bean stuck on the incisor tooth? I don't think so. Do they feel like they have no place in pointing things like this out to a total stranger? Maybe. But in my own experience more strangers have told me something was amiss than my colleagues and acquaintances (my friends always do).
So Dr. Isis, I suppose you could feel somewhat relieved that you at least put your underpants on under your clothes. And I would always, always tell you in the nicest and most discreet way if I ever saw something amiss.
Posted by: Callinectes | June 29, 2009 12:58 PM
"underpants on inside out and backwards"
That's good! very efficient. you can wear them again the right way and you save having to wash them.
Posted by: Kevin (nyc) | July 3, 2009 12:33 AM