One of the perks of my position is that every two years I get a shiny new computer. I got my new one installed this morning.
That’s my usual work station. I’ve got a Wild M3 on the left, a nice Leica next to it, then this laptop with dual monitors spilling out the front because there is a mercury arc lamp hidden behind it, and then a giant black box with a Raspberry PI we use for behavioral observations. This isn’t going to work. It’s nice to have all the tools in one place, but I guess the PI black box is going to have to be relocated.
Or I’m going to have to take over another lab! Nah, compact and accessible is the way to go.
On the far left there’s an ancient artifact: a desk phone, aka “land line.” Perhaps that’s not necessary to keep so handy. I haven’t had one of those either at work or home in years. My last home land line had the ringer off and received nothing but spam calls. We kept it primarily for emergencies, which never happened. We don’t have one in our new home.
… and then a giant black box with a Raspberry PI we use for behavioral observations
Raspberry Pis are actually small, so another solution would be to keep it where it is, but in a smaller black box.
You’re not thinking like a proper mad scientists here PZ. You need to expand and conquer other labs, spreading the reach on your nefarious spider minions into every corner of the universe! (Okay, university, but the concept still works.) If you ever want to achieve academic overlord status, you have to think about these things.
The Raspberry PI is small, but the spider cage and camera mount inside are large.
Way too organised for a mad scientist.
@garydargan
Way too tidy. Back in my day just talking to my prof in his office meant moving a dozen journal articles and 100 file cards just so I could sit down.
Is that the Leica you’re holding onto for Jhn Kwk?
The lab is tidy for the spiders’ sakes. On the other hand, my office is like the picture of Dorian Gray — a blizzard of chaos and papers and books. I should probably clean it up over the break, so I can see my desktop again.
Jhn Kwk gets NOTHING from me!
@jrkrideau #6:
I used to work with an English professor whose office was in the former servants’ quarters on the top floor of a Georgian town house owned by the university. The book shelves started near the top of the steep back stairs and lined one wall of the narrow central corridor that led past the offices of six of his colleagues to his office at the far end. The final stretch of corridor also had books stacked on the floor against the other wall, to a minimum of shoulder height. All but the most petite of visitors had to turn sideways to shuffle the last few yards to his door. Carrying computer equipment to or from his office was not fun. Clearing books, file boxes and assorted papers to uncover and retrieve cables run from one of his desks was not fun. Nice bloke, though, and always worth visiting for a laugh.
@ 1 robro
Yes, the phone is hilarious. It looks like set dressing Ron Howard would have used in mission control for Apollo 13. Next to an overflowing ashtray. X-D
https://www.floridatoday.com/gcdn/-mm-/93831dd35692e162214057e199ca713afd9fdbf7/c=0-66-1264-780/local/-/media/2017/04/13/Brevard/Brevard/636277033550723944-MissionControl-010.jpg