what do I study
a sample image I took from my experiment
(I was inspired by this discussion in Phdcomics. http://www.phdcomics.com/proceedings/viewtopic.php?t=53)
When people first meet, they pretend to be interested in what each other is doing. Or it is a easy question to ask, like weather, and everyone has something to say about it, so generally no one would be embarrassed.
However, each time I was asked, I had some real difficulty by choosing the right answer. By saying "right answer", I mean the answer which is understandable by ordinary people, while they won't think it's so easy that it is really ridiculous that I have spent so many years on it.
Alright, alright, I admit that no matter what it is, it is ridiculous that I have been here for so long.
Anyway, now I decide that I need to work on the answers, depending on different situations I will be dealing with.
So here are several cases.
When people just ask and no follow-up questions: mechanical engineering
When people know there are different topics in mechanical engineering: fluid dynamics
When people seem interested: I use high-speed cameras and lasers to capture images of flow past a rectangular cavity. Then I can calculate the flow velocity fields and other characteristics.
When people ask what is the use of that(btw, I really hate this question because it makes me feel my research is totally useless): to reduce the undesired vibration and noisces introduced by the sunroof of a car, or some slots in aircrafts. Also, to enhance the mixing between the fuel and air inside the engine.
Or I can just say "I use high-speed flow visualization method like cinematographic PIV and PLIF to study the flow conditions of cavity resonance and its influence on shear layer mixing".
Then people might go like: "huh?"
Then I say: "yeah."
posted by beneathwing @ 10:35 AM
6 Comments:
You know I can relate to this problem...how can you answer the question "what do you do" without over boring them while trying to say something that justifies the extra schooling.
My Answers (typical interaction):
Q: What do you do?
A: Study fluid mechanics (I try to skip a step).
*often ends there
Q: So like hydrolics or pumps?
A: Um, no I study turbulence.
*usually a funny look and blank stare for a little bit
Q: Why?
A: Well actually I study how turbulent fluctuations are modified by either polymer additives or bubbles for the purpose of reducing drag.
*very rarely does the conversation continue
Q: So this is like for a ship.
A: yeah
Q: So you paint this polymer on the ship and the water slides past it right?
A: No...the polymer is injected into the water so that it can modify the turbulent fluctuations in the fluid.
*Believe it or not I have actually had further questions past this point from non-engineering individuals. Those that continue the conversation tend to have genuine interest in the science.
Next time you can try something like "sorry, military secret" to see how people respond.
haha.
Yeah, I've learned about this difficulty as well (I mean, specifically with the work in the lab)! That's just why I usually put it on my diaryland page (and I will, I promise!).
Let me tell you how MY q&a's usually go (for my biggest job):
q. what do you do?
a. I work at a high school theater department doing technical theater
q. oh... that's nice. acting and such?
a. no, I help the kids with the technical aspect
q. *blank stare*
a. you know, like scenery, lights, sound...?
q. so you're a teacher?
a. well, I assist on one class, but I mostly work on their after-school program
q. oh, is that full-time?
a. well, no... it depends on when shows are- it can get up to about 50 hours/week, but it averages around 25-30
q. so what else do you do? (as if that's not enough!)
a. I work some odd jobs for the university- one in an engineering lab and one at a rehearsal hall
q. engineering?
a. yeah, I majored in mechanical engineering
q. nice! so you're just doing theater until you can find a full-time engineering job?
a. *sigh*
But who really wants a job that's easy to explain? :)
Oh, and by the way, I think your research DOES sound really useful, Sherry!
Thanks for the inputs!
Ciara, I try to make it "sound" useful. Actually, my research is not that practical.
Sigh...
Yeah... sometimes Ph.D. students, candidates can only talk to each other and unederstand anything of what they are saying... I am a phd candidate at Virginia Tech in the School of Architecture... deep into the void of writing up my research... my topic is a historical study comparing licensing for interior designers in three jurisdictions... hmmmm who cares...
Your photos are really wonderful! They could be or art art by the way... I grew up in A squared by the way and normally live in Western MI. Good luck...
Well, Well, finally I catched you here. I just backed from Europe and enjoyed a great visit of Prague, Paris again and Mount Blanc of Alps. It's really surpring and delighting that you have done great in the field of blog, although I am not sure if you have done great in the field of PIV. Now, you know who I am talking to, huh?
Well, just something a little bit interesting here. The beer of Czech is very nice. When I sat near the river and enjoyed a kind of black beer, a bee almost got drowned inside the beer. The first word I could think of is
" let it bee ". Well, of course, I cannot let it be and saved his life.
DW
8/16/2006
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