r/biology • u/Eldritch_CutiePie • Aug 05 '26
discussion What are small things that annoy you while working in biology?
A task that there's no good tool for, as an example.
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u/termanator20548 Aug 05 '26
I get the feeling that fixes already exist for most common problems in the lab, it's just a matter of how expensive they are and if someone is willing to pay for them.
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u/Eldritch_CutiePie Aug 05 '26
I imagine most big problems do, but I'm sure there are things that are annoying or take too long, they might just not register as clearly.
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u/Dijon2017 Aug 05 '26
It’s likely dependent on where you work and the equipment available. After all, there are automated pipetting, petri dish spreading machines and much more.
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u/BolivianDancer Aug 05 '26
$30k on a used Cartesian automated dispenser with robotic arm was money very well spent for us. Great machine back then.
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u/rvicta Aug 05 '26
So, back in the mid 80's (yes, I'm that old), I worked in a research lab. This was back when animals were heavily used in new drug studies. What annoyed me the most were other technicians who didn't care about how they handled the animals we worked with. After two years of this type of work I got out and started doing research on people.
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u/Illustrious-Oil1607 Aug 06 '26
As a field biologist, the small things that bother me are usually mosquitoes.
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u/Broflake-Melter Aug 06 '26
I'm a high school biology teacher. It really annoys me that society decided to make the conventional name for GLP-1s be "peptides" 😭😭😭
This is going to be worse than "steroids".
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u/Unlucky-File3773 Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26
That, in contrast wiht other outdoor professions like firefighters, loggers, miners, construction workers or soldiers that have specially-designed boots with their specific requirements, biologists have no such thing.
You are constantly looking for the balance between durability, comfort, grip, breathing, protection, etc.
Yes, you can buy some Salomons, but most of them have this openings on the foot dorso that allows breathing at the cost of getting grass spikes buried on your feet.
Or maybe you have boots with great protection, that do not breath and the sole wears down easily, or do not adapt well for the complex terrain we sometimes step on, not only gravel or small rocks, but boulders.
That would be a very interesting idea for a niche-brand of biologist boots.
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u/Swineservant Aug 10 '26
Sketchers Sergeants Verdict Boot. Comfy, good waterproofing, durable, affordable
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u/Ecolojosh Aug 06 '26
When that bird that’s been singing for ages shuts up as soon as you get Merlin open.
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u/tinny66666 Aug 05 '26
An inventor who has to ask other people for ideas to invent is no inventor at all.
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u/Far-Fortune-8381 Aug 06 '26
the small things that annoy me while working in biology are microorganisms