Worst Science Jobs - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Astrocloud · 11-13-2004, 02:41 PM

Quote:

The Worst Jobs in Science: The Sequel
Monitoring dumps, extracting worms, lobbying politicians: science's ugly side.

Think your job’s bad? Try dragging a bedspread around tick-ridden thickets, pausing regularly in the 100-degree heat not to squeegee the sweat from your brow but to tweeze dozens of the tiny pests into a collection jar. Reconsidering your career choice? Imagine training for years as a veterinarian, only to find yourself engaged in labwork designed to make the tail-wagging puppies in your charge sick, knowing all the while that when the study is over, the pooches will be euthanized. Having a bad day? Just be glad you’re not spending it in minute examination of unusual growths on a dozen or so people’s posteriors.

But don’t feel sorry for the scientists and staffers employed in these travails and the 14 others gathered in this, our second annual countdown of the worst jobs in science—they probably wouldn’t want your job any more than you’d want theirs. Case in point: As we canvassed hundreds of scientists for worst-job nominees, an inexplicable thing happened—the glorious and esteemed calling known as “science journalist” kept garnering votes. Something about missing out on the chance to do real science ourselves, coupled with our need to simplify (or was it “oversimplify”?) the subjects we cover.

That, of course, is part of the fascination of an exercise such as this. Job horror is in the eye of the job holder. And to the great benefit of society, most of these job holders simply don’t regard their occupation as being that horrible—or, at any rate, are willing to endure the horrors for the opportunity to do virtuous and important work. We salute them.

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science...713471,00.html

And here they are... be sure to post your favorite career from the choices below:

• Anal-Wart Researcher

• Worm Parasitologist

• Lab-Animal Veterinarian

• Tampon Squeezer

• Landfill Monitor

• K-25 Demolition Worker

• Ecologist at St. John’s Harbor

• Iraqi Archaeologist

• Tick Dragger

• Nurse

• Computer Help-Desk Tech

• Congressional Science Fellow

• Public-School Science Teacher

• Nosologist

• Root Sorter

• Crank

• Television Meteorologist

Astrocloud · 11-13-2004, 02:46 PM

My Choice from the list is: Tampon Squeezer:

Quote:

Generally disgusting
Tampon Squeezer
Worst Science Jobs II: Number 4

If you’re interested in researching vaginal infections, you can do scrapes or urine tests, or you can draw samples with a pipette. Or you can collect your specimens from tampons. As Australian microbiologist Suzanne Garland and her team at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Victoria discovered, tampons are best for epidemiological studies of sexually transmitted diseases in large populations, because women are more likely to cooperate with a test that is familar and self-inserted rather than one that must be administered by a doctor.

Normally, researchers would use a centrifuge to extract fluids to be tested. But this is the one way in which the tampon is not an optimal specimen-collecting tool, because its true purpose is to hold liquid in. “Optimal recovery,” Garland says, “requires manual squeezing.” Wearing gloves, of course.

Stiltzkin · 11-13-2004, 02:57 PM

Lab Animal Vet. I don't think I could stand that.

avhg1 · 11-13-2004, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stiltzkin

Lab Animal Vet. I don't think I could stand that.

I fully agree. The others are gross, but I couldn't hurt animals.

Ydde · 11-14-2004, 06:22 PM

Worst job for me is Anal-Wart Researcher.

“In 13 years I’ve only been pooped on twice, and that’s not bad.”

Definitely not my type of job.

CinnamonGirl · 11-14-2004, 06:40 PM

A list of some of the grosset jobs ever....and then nurses and science teachers. How sad is that?

Lab-vet gets my vote as the absolute worst, though.

Zeraph · 11-14-2004, 07:18 PM

Ever done astronomy? Most of it is mind numbingly tedious.

McDuffie · 11-14-2004, 07:22 PM

I saw this scientist on TV that had to collect a sperm sample from an elephant. He made the elephant ejaculate by manually massaging his prostate... the elephant's prostate that is :funny:

They showed it. I turned the channel before he put his hand up there, right as he put on a glove that went up to his shoulder.

That is the worst science job I can imagine.

11-13-2004, 02:57 PM	#3 (permalink)
Stiltzkin Junkie	Lab Animal Vet. I don't think I could stand that. __________________ The most important thing in this world is love.

11-14-2004, 06:40 PM	#6 (permalink)
CinnamonGirl She's Actual Size Location: Central Republic of Where-in-the-Hell	A list of some of the grosset jobs ever....and then nurses and science teachers. How sad is that? Lab-vet gets my vote as the absolute worst, though. __________________ "...for though she was ordinary, she possessed health, wit, courage, charm, and cheerfulness. But because she was not beautiful, no one ever seemed to notice these other qualities, which is so often the way of the world." "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

11-14-2004, 06:22 PM	#5 (permalink)
Ydde Tilted Location: Singapore	Worst job for me is Anal-Wart Researcher. “In 13 years I’ve only been pooped on twice, and that’s not bad.” Definitely not my type of job.

11-14-2004, 07:18 PM	#7 (permalink)
Zeraph Banned Location: The Cosmos	Ever done astronomy? Most of it is mind numbingly tedious.

11-14-2004, 07:22 PM	#8 (permalink)
McDuffie Tilted Location: McDuffie Co, GA	I saw this scientist on TV that had to collect a sperm sample from an elephant. He made the elephant ejaculate by manually massaging his prostate... the elephant's prostate that is :funny: They showed it. I turned the channel before he put his hand up there, right as he put on a glove that went up to his shoulder. That is the worst science job I can imagine.