When worlds meet
"Denn wir beide leben in zwei Welten
Die sich selten nur berühren
Denn wir beide leben in zwei Welten
Kannst du mich in deine führen?"
- "Zwei Welten" von den Wise Guys
"Because we live in two worlds
That seldom touch
Because we live in two worlds
Can you show me yours?"
- "Two Worlds" by the Wise Guys
This week, IRIS hosted the Norwegian Environmental Toxicology Symposium, and I had the chance to participate. I've never actually worked in environmental toxicology before, my work being more focused on straight-up ecology, so it was very interesting for me to listen in and observe. To be perfectly honest, at the start of the conference, I was afraid that I didn't quite belong. I thought people who live in the world of PCBs and environmental impact models would have zero interest in benthic ecology. I found myself practically apologizing whenever someone asked about my research, because I was certain they wouldn't be interested. It only took a few conversations, though, for me to realize that everyone was in fact interested in my work, even though it had nothing to do with theirs. Furthermore, the range of research represented at the conference was quite wide, so I'm certain others had the same apprehensions and the same reassuring discovery.
At the student symposium, Astri Kvassnes gave a marvelous introduction to secrets of success in science. She described a psychological phenomenon known as Imposter Syndrome, in which the victim believes he or she is not in fact intelligent but has rather fooled everyone else around them into believing that they are. They expect any moment to be found out and kicked out of their chosen discipline. Imposter Syndrome is actually quite common in science, and I imagine you'd also find it in any other realm of life requiring excellence.
While I've never had a bad case of Imposter Syndrome per se, I've definitely experienced the feeling that I don't belong. I've convinced myself on several previous occassions that I don't have what it takes to succeed in science, that my research is uninteresting and unimportant, and other similar lies. Being aware of Imposter Syndrome is in my opinion essential to success because when you realize that it's a true phenomenon, suddenly the lies of self-doubt turn into fleeting apparitions. No matter what the situation, it is always so important to remember that I do in fact belong, that my research is interesting, and that I can teach others something new. If I quit obsessing and open my ears, they will also teach me.
That said, the field of ecotoxicology lies outside my area of expertise, but that just meant I had more to learn. The first big lesson for me was how to design a toxicological study. Obviously study designs vary, but the basic concept is to choose a contaminant, choose a model organism, expose the model organism to varying concentrations of the contaminant, and observe the effects. It struck me that in a lot of cases, the lowest concentration of the contaminant had very little effect on the organism and the effects were not statistically significant from the controls. This was in some ways reassuring for me because it reinforced the resiliency of biota. However, another important thing I picked up is the impact of contaminant "cocktails" are almost always worse than that of single contaminants. We obviously love in a world of multiple stressors, so we need to be aware of synergistic effects between pollutants. In this case, the whole is worse than the sum of its parts.
One of my favorite aspects of scientific conferences is meeting people from various parts of the world. Even though NETS was specifically for researchers and students from Norwegian institutions, there were a number of people who had grown up elsewhere and only come to Norway to study or work. At the conference dinner, I ended up sitting next to a student who was from Sudan, and I picked his brain about that country. In another instance, I got to speak with a woman who had done a lot of field work in Tanzania and hear her perspective on field work in a developing country. For example, even if you have all the proper paperwork and permits, you have to announce yourselves to the local authorities on arrival, and if they don't give you a go-ahead for the project, then it's not going to happen. Everything is about personal contact.
I'm actually quite interested in sub-Saharan Africa and would love to work or travel there someday, so it was encouraging for me to speak with someone who has successfully conducted a project in Tanzania. As I continue to develop as a scientist and networker, I sincerely hope I can cross the gap between the developed and the developing world. Just imagine the discoveries waiting to be made in areas of the world where nobody is looking!
By the end of the conference, I had decided that I did in fact belong. My work may not center on liver tissue or have any influence on government policy, but I was able to engage in genuine dialogue and learn quite a lot. I had a substantial introduction to the world of ecotoxicology and granted others a peek into mine.
Die sich selten nur berühren
Denn wir beide leben in zwei Welten
Kannst du mich in deine führen?"
- "Zwei Welten" von den Wise Guys
"Because we live in two worlds
That seldom touch
Because we live in two worlds
Can you show me yours?"
- "Two Worlds" by the Wise Guys
This week, IRIS hosted the Norwegian Environmental Toxicology Symposium, and I had the chance to participate. I've never actually worked in environmental toxicology before, my work being more focused on straight-up ecology, so it was very interesting for me to listen in and observe. To be perfectly honest, at the start of the conference, I was afraid that I didn't quite belong. I thought people who live in the world of PCBs and environmental impact models would have zero interest in benthic ecology. I found myself practically apologizing whenever someone asked about my research, because I was certain they wouldn't be interested. It only took a few conversations, though, for me to realize that everyone was in fact interested in my work, even though it had nothing to do with theirs. Furthermore, the range of research represented at the conference was quite wide, so I'm certain others had the same apprehensions and the same reassuring discovery.
At the student symposium, Astri Kvassnes gave a marvelous introduction to secrets of success in science. She described a psychological phenomenon known as Imposter Syndrome, in which the victim believes he or she is not in fact intelligent but has rather fooled everyone else around them into believing that they are. They expect any moment to be found out and kicked out of their chosen discipline. Imposter Syndrome is actually quite common in science, and I imagine you'd also find it in any other realm of life requiring excellence.
While I've never had a bad case of Imposter Syndrome per se, I've definitely experienced the feeling that I don't belong. I've convinced myself on several previous occassions that I don't have what it takes to succeed in science, that my research is uninteresting and unimportant, and other similar lies. Being aware of Imposter Syndrome is in my opinion essential to success because when you realize that it's a true phenomenon, suddenly the lies of self-doubt turn into fleeting apparitions. No matter what the situation, it is always so important to remember that I do in fact belong, that my research is interesting, and that I can teach others something new. If I quit obsessing and open my ears, they will also teach me.
That said, the field of ecotoxicology lies outside my area of expertise, but that just meant I had more to learn. The first big lesson for me was how to design a toxicological study. Obviously study designs vary, but the basic concept is to choose a contaminant, choose a model organism, expose the model organism to varying concentrations of the contaminant, and observe the effects. It struck me that in a lot of cases, the lowest concentration of the contaminant had very little effect on the organism and the effects were not statistically significant from the controls. This was in some ways reassuring for me because it reinforced the resiliency of biota. However, another important thing I picked up is the impact of contaminant "cocktails" are almost always worse than that of single contaminants. We obviously love in a world of multiple stressors, so we need to be aware of synergistic effects between pollutants. In this case, the whole is worse than the sum of its parts.
One of my favorite aspects of scientific conferences is meeting people from various parts of the world. Even though NETS was specifically for researchers and students from Norwegian institutions, there were a number of people who had grown up elsewhere and only come to Norway to study or work. At the conference dinner, I ended up sitting next to a student who was from Sudan, and I picked his brain about that country. In another instance, I got to speak with a woman who had done a lot of field work in Tanzania and hear her perspective on field work in a developing country. For example, even if you have all the proper paperwork and permits, you have to announce yourselves to the local authorities on arrival, and if they don't give you a go-ahead for the project, then it's not going to happen. Everything is about personal contact.
I'm actually quite interested in sub-Saharan Africa and would love to work or travel there someday, so it was encouraging for me to speak with someone who has successfully conducted a project in Tanzania. As I continue to develop as a scientist and networker, I sincerely hope I can cross the gap between the developed and the developing world. Just imagine the discoveries waiting to be made in areas of the world where nobody is looking!
By the end of the conference, I had decided that I did in fact belong. My work may not center on liver tissue or have any influence on government policy, but I was able to engage in genuine dialogue and learn quite a lot. I had a substantial introduction to the world of ecotoxicology and granted others a peek into mine.
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