Unknown unknowns

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.