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| New field site |
When preparing to begin a remodeling
project the usual advice is that the project will take three times as long and
cost twice as much money as any estimate you calculate. This sounds a bit
pessimistic but if you've ever done a big remodeling project you probably
recognize the truth of that statement. It's accurate because there are a lot of
unknown variables, even unknown unknowns, which are really fun. Generally
speaking these things gum up the works, complicating, delaying and increasing
headaches.
A similar statement can be applied to any new project, and
the reasons are the same. Unknown variables. These variables include things
like learning the quirks of new equipment, using new software, or optimizing a
new assay. When you are working in the field this is amplified a bit because
you have to deal with things you have 0 control over, things like weather,
predation, forest fires and finding your animals.
When you've been working at a particular site or with a
particular species for awhile you have a pretty good grip on how things are
going to go and can plan accordingly. However, if you have a new site, new
species, or new technique your introducing some unknown variable and things
might be a little rough at the start.
I happened to design a particularly ambitious project for my
postdoc research. I'm using a new species, in a new country, with new equipment
and techniques. These things are combining to make the learning curve for this
project a little bit steep. Consequently, progress has been a little slower
that I had planned.
However, the data are finally rolling in, and that makes it
all worth it.
