Science writing

So, after about three months of employment, I reached the end of my temp contract and am once again looking for work. I'm looking at ways that aren't 100% laboratory work all the time, as much fun as that can be. Trying to branch out for a while. So far, what I have come up with bites on seems to be writing. I'm editing the newsletter for my local section of the ACS, and am supposed to be writing some articles for a magazine specifically focused on green living. More details later as I get more facts to pass on. This isn't a very long post, since I don't currently have a lot to say, or a lot going on. I'm looking into a couple of posts in the future that will be more hard chemistry based, but the thing is, to to those right takes time and effort. Which is being put in.

Speed vs. accuracy

A big part of my job currently is getting accurate results quickly. Does this bag of product meet or exceed the required value of this given element? We need to know as soon as possible. Generally this is actually something I get excited about-I like to feel that my research is doing something for somebody somewhere. I want to know that people are using my results to make their product better, or make something new. But the question also becomes-if I don't find the right answer and that costs them a large batch of product, there's going to problems if this happens frequently. And fast analysis is generally more prone to errors. So how do you balance them out?
A lot of what I've done that has helped me is using an autosampler. I can have one thing running while another is digesting. Getting the pieces for digestion all dry is a problem, but solvable.
Some of this also seems to be natural-I think quickly, I answer test questions quickly, I was faster in grad school running ICP than anyone I trained. Some of it is experience. I know exactly what motions are fastest for doing this analysis, and that would change if I was using a different instrument.
So how do I learn that in cases where I don't already know it, and how do I balance out the need for accuracy and speed?
some of it comes down to simple advice I always see on career articles all the time-don't promise what you can't deliver. Sometimes it takes more than one day to get a good answer, sometimes confirmation of answers don't go quite as well as I'd hoped. If I'm doing the confirmation earlier than anticipated, I have time to go back and look more closely at the samples. I tend to run more sample replicates and run the same samples again to check for reproduceability. If the result isn't reproducable, it takes more time, pure and simple. I know people complain about this when airlines budget more time into their flights to avoid being counted as late, but if the shorter time estimates aren't achieveable, why does it help to see them? Give an estimate that is in line with reality, and recognizes that things will go crazy. You will need to redo things from time to time.
It also helps me to build in break time without losing analysis time. Once again, the autosampler helps this. If my mind is going fuzzy from squinting at too many small numbers on a computer screen, it helps to set up a bunch of data to collect, then leave the lab for long enough to grab a cup of coffee or water. That's not particularly news, I know. But it does help me be less likely to make some really stupid mistake. Which is always good.

Wow it's been a long time

So, I've been away for a long time. I swore I wasn't going to be one of those bloggers who just posts 3 to 4 posts then vanishes. Life has gotten busy-getting heavily into skating, and I got a job!! at least, I got a job, in Feb., that was supposed to last a month. The more clever of you readers might be here asking, wait, a month? shouldn't that be done? and yes, a month has come and gone. Two months have come and gone. I will be done in two weeks. I have really enjoyed having a job-it gives me a sense of purpose, it gives me a sense of having structure, which I really need. It's nice to get to use my brain and ICP training. The best thing has been mostly figuring out, hey, I can do this. The most stressful event was this past Friday, telling them "no, I can't do what you want with this technique" I felt like a failure, though I know that low concentration Cl- lines are a pain to physically impossible to measure with ICP. But I suppose that was also a good learning experience. I can't do everything, though I'd try.
Well, it's time to look for the next job now. I'm trying to get something more environmentally motivated-applying at the city and state for inspection type jobs, as well as more private environmental companies. We'll see how that turns out. I'm more excited about most of these jobs than a lot of "formulation chemist" positions that I had previously applied for, so that's hopeful. I remember a lot of advice boards saying "if you're really passionate, that'll show". Hopefully it will.
Skating. I've decided to try out for roller derby, for Minnesota Roller Girls and Northstar Roller Girls. This means skating over an hour about 5 times a week. Sometimes a bit less, because the closest rink doesn't start sessions til 8:30 for adults. and a whole side part of the having a job is getting up before 6 am. and I need a full 8 hours, apparently. At least, I do when I'm doing heavy athletic stuff. So I'm training myself to get home early, and get to bed.
I have read some of my chemistry books-got a good one on ICP by Steve HIill, which I knew a lot of the ICP-OES material, though am curious about ICP-MS. I also have a new environmental one Environmental Chemistry, by Manahan. I do hope to do a couple of full out book reviews eventually.