Here is a thought.
I spent quite a bit of time on faculty search committees for computer
science during the past two years. Through this experience I became
familiar with Fuzzy math and neural networks. Frankly, this has
revolutionized the way I look at my data sets. This morning it occurred
to me (maybe someone said this earlier) that we spend too much time going
to meetings in our pigeon-holed disciplines and never venture out. If you
attend a few talks on a topic you know nothing about, but can grasp, you
can look at your data in a completely different way using techniques that
aren't necessarily novel to other fields, but definitely so in your own.
Maybe everyone knows this, but it is new to me! :)
On Wed, August 8, 2007 5:51 am, Dragos Zaharescu wrote:
> I attend international meetings at distance at least=
>
> Dear ecologgers,=0A =0AI attend international meetings at distance at
> least=
> 2 /year on a regular basis and often changing the field (not different
> fie=
> lds but rather related ones).=0AReasons I do that instead of limiting to
> pa=
> per readings? =0A:=0A1. Unifying the field around the globe by updating
> the=
> tools we all use=0A2. Find new ideas within and from out of the field:
> for=
> richness=0A3. Of course networking with people from different cultures
> whi=
> ch I found it quite exciting=0A4. Getting out of the routine (lab and
> field=
> ) for coming back brainstorming and with enthusiasm.=0A5. Why not, a
> person=
> al discovery of new territories wherever they are=0A =0AAll this provide a
> =
> rich experience and is non just theory. Since we are still humans, getting
> =
> in touch phisically and moving around is healthy and enjoyable and I will
> b=
> e continuing doing it for years.=0A =0AWell, financial reasons for not
> thin=
> gs are always there as well as others. Personally I save money throughout
> t=
> he year for attending conferences and never regreted. I consider it a
> perio=
> dically refreshment activity, from many perspectives, and encourage you
> all=
> to practice it.=0A=0A Liane is wright in hers last statement
> but,...lookin=
> g for potential employers did not gave me much results so far. Does any of
> =
> you have got positive results in this respect? I am quite interested in
> fin=
> ding that.=0A=0ACheers=0A=0ADragos=0A=0A=0A=0A=0ADragos Zaharescu=0AAnimal
> =
> Anatomy Laboratory=0AAnimal Biology and Ecology Department=0AFaculty of
> Bio=
> logical Sciences=0AUniversity of Vigo, apd. 874=0A36200, Vigo,
> SPAIN=0Azaha=
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]@uvigo.es=0A =0A=0A=0A=0A- Original Message
> =
> =0AFrom: Liane Cochran-Stafira <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>=0ATo:
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> V.UMD.EDU=0ASent: Tuesday, August 7, 2007 6:25:30 PM=0ASubject: Re:
> Skippin=
> g meetings=0A=0A=0AAt 04:53 PM 8/6/2007, Andrew Park wrote:=0A>Dear
> Ecologg=
> ers,=0A>=0A>As for meetings, I suspect that they are usually more about
> net=
> working=0A>(careerism again) and less about achieving progress in a
> particu=
> lar=0A>field. That's why I do not go to them these days unless I
> am=0A>pre=
> senting something specific.=0A=0AAndy,=0AI'm rather surprised by this
> state=
> ment. Yes, grad students and =0Arecent grads may be looking for potential
> =
> employers, but that is =0Ahardly the main reason people attend ESA or any
> o=
> ther scientific =0Ameetings. The main goal is to find out what is going
> on=
> in our own =0Alittle corner of the research world as well as to scout out
> =
> what's =0Anew in other areas of ecology, microbiology, or whatever. As
> som=
> eone =0Aelse has mentioned, it's impossible to read all the ecological
> =0Ar=
> esearch papers, but if I spot an interesting abstract, I can easily =0Aget
> =
> more information in the form of a talk, seminar presentation, or =0Aposter
> =
> session. And, I can discuss the research with the author in =0Aperson.
> N=
> ot sure what meetings you've been attending to come away =0Awith such a
> nar=
> row view of their
> value.=0A=0ACheers,=0ALiane=0A=0A=0A=0A**=
> *=0AD. Liane Cochran-Stafira, Ph.D.=0AAssociate
> Professor=0ADepartm=
> ent of Biological Sciences=0ASaint Xavier University=0A3700 West 103rd
> Stre=
> et=0AChicago, Illinois 60655=0A=0Aphone: 773-298-3514=0Afax:
> 773-298-3=
> 536=0Aemail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]://faculty.sxu.edu/~cochran/=0A=0A=0A
> =
> =0A___=
> _Ready for the edge of your seat? =0ACheck out tonight's
> to=
> p picks on Yahoo! TV. =0Ahttp://tv.yahoo.com/
>
Malcolm L. McCallum
Assistant Professor of Biology
Editor Herpetological Conservationa and Biology
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
