The Columbus Meeting

Who goes?•A theoretical analysis of those of us who go on to become repeat attenders at the OSU Symposium. •In what ways can we be quite different? •In what ways are we almost the same?

and Why?•What pleasures do we derive from this meeting at each stage of our spectroscopic development?

What makes us different?Some multiple choice cultural questions:

National Foods: In my culture we eat (1) most, (2) some, (3) no animals.

National Dress: In my native country we like (1) nude beaches, (2) burqas, (3) kimonos.

National God(s): In my culture we have (1) one, (2) several, (3) many gods.

National Enemies: The past and present enemies of my people are . . .

What makes us almost identical?

We all have studied mathematics, physics, chemistry. The laws describing these fields cannot be changed by governments or by cultures. (But they sometimes try).

This means that our way of thinking is often more like that of other Columbus attendees than it is like that of many citizens in our native country. We all had to study many books for many years in university. We often like solving scientific puzzles.

This means that our personalities are often more like those of other Columbus attendees than like those of many citizens in our native country.

We may be similar in thinking, but we are at different stages of our careers

~Age Position in work force(years) (Rank in hierarchy)

18-22 Undergrad23-28 Grad Student29-32 Post-doc33-40 Young staff member41-54 Mid-career staff member55-64 Old staff member65-80+ Retiree

We will look at these periods one at a time

We are all at different stages of our research

Position Talk is frequently on

Undergrad Senior thesisGrad Student Ph.D. thesisPost-doc Supervisor’s ideasYoung staff Own brilliant ideasMid-career staff Group members give the talksOld staff Work in drawer for 10+ yearsRetiree A topic from a long time ago

What does an Undergrad get from the Symposium?

Case 1 – Without 15-minute TalkCareer guidance: Is the world I want to work in =Is this really the stuff I want to think about?Are these really the people I want to associate with?FOR THE WHOLE REST OF MY LIFE???

What does an Undergrad get from the Symposium?

Case 1 – Without 15-minute TalkCareer guidance: Is the world I want to work in =Is this really the stuff I want to think about?Are these really the people I want to associate with?FOR THE WHOLE REST OF MY LIFE???

Case 2 – With 15-minute TalkCareer guidance as above and a sense of VICTORYI did it !!! I gave a talk !!!in front of all those really old and famous scientists !!! and I survived !!!

What do Grad Students and Post Docs get?

Treat these 2 categories together and in detail because nurturing exactly these 2 stages is one of the central purposes of the Columbus Meeting.

1. A chance to compare one’s scientific results against the results of others in one’s age group.(Sports Tournaments or Musical Competitions)

2. A chance to show one’s results to an audiencewith ~ 1 to 4 people who are REALLY interested in them, either as competitors or potential users. (often detailed questions after the talk or later)

What do Grad Students and Post Docs get?

3. If foreign and giving first talk in English: I did it !!! I talked for 15 minutes IN ENGLISH !!! and I survived !!!

4. A chance for lengthy and nearly barrier-free interactions with older spectroscopists doing similar work, to learn the “tricks of the trade”practiced in their labs.(Like apprentices in the Guilds 500 years ago and apprentices in trade unions today)

What do Grad Students and Post Docs get?

5. A chance to present a talk (and not a poster):To organize material logically & control the flowTo hold (not lose) the listener’s attention With interesting (but not too dense) content, etc.To “show one’s stuff” as a “transmitter” of ideas(harder at question-driven poster presentations)

6. A chance to start life-long professional friendships.

7. Official induction and welcoming into theworld-wide family of molecular spectroscopists.

Back to the theoretical analysis of data on ourselves

A few years ago OSU installed a network of campus-wide surveillance cameras and other sensorspurchased from the Department of Homeland Security

These have been used to collect “profile information” on activities of the repeat attenders at Columbus.

Results are now available from the first study, whichfocussed on two subjects:

(1) campus trajectories of attendees(2) electricity cutoff times in the dorms

Summarized in next table

We are all at different stages of our biorhythms

~Age Rank ~Bedtime(in yrs) (if no jet lag)

18-22 Undergrad 12 midnight23-28 Grad Student 2 a.m. 29-32 Post-doc 3 a.m. 33-40 Young staff 1 a.m.41-54 Mid-career staff 12 midnight55-64 Old staff 11 p.m.65-80 Retiree 10 p.m.

The OSU Department of Psychology has developed a comprehensive theory for this behavior.

Main conclusions from study:

Grad students and post-docs derive

from 2 to 5 extra hours of benefit per day of OSU Symposium attendance,

when compared to benefits derived byearly-career and late-career attendees.

What do Young Staff Members get from OSUSymposium attendance?

1. Look for and/or recruit post-docs for their lab. Look for and/or scrounge surplus equipment.

2. Watch the talks for new research and/or new proposal ideas.

3. Take in a little more mentoring. (grant applications, when to go up for tenure)

4. Watch oneself get into the scientific network based on results presented in one’s talks.

What do Mid-Career Spectroscopists get from attending OSU Symposium?

1. A chance to pass their experience on to the next generation of spectroscopists. (the “giving” side of mentoring)

2. Attend prestigious committee meetings with others from their own age group:

Organizing committee meetingsSteering committee meetings Editorial committee meetingsAdvisory committee meetingsVisiting committee meetings

What do Late-Career Spectroscopists get from attending the OSU Symposium?

A chance to enjoy the immense respect and admiration of younger spectroscopists.

For example:

Some grad-student or post-doc reads your name tag at the picnic and says:

Oh, are you Jon Hougen ???

I once read a paper you wrote,

from before I was born.

I thought you’d be dead by now.

Finally, what do Retirees get from attending the OSU Symposium?

A chance to participate,after our early to mid 60’s,in new spectroscopic research and developmentfor as long as we can manage it.

Finally, what do Retirees get from attending the OSU Symposium?

A chance to participate,after our early to mid 60’s,in new spectroscopic research and developmentfor as long as we can manage it.

So I don’t know who is actually happier this weekSome grad student here at his/her 1st Columbus,or me here at my 52nd.