Darklight Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 (edited) Ethnobotanical Research 101- starting from scratch Torsten and I are running a workshop on Laboratory Experiment Design at EGA 2017 We want to share our love of citizen-science. To convince you all to partake in the formal, logical process that can answer so many of the phytochemical/ ethnotoanical questions you've asked over the years. Wonder no more! Act! Workshop's for beginners and wrinkly old lab-hands alike. Anyone, literally- anyone can design a simple, robust protocol which gives solid results and contributes to the sum of human knowledge. Those of you with extensive practical experience in experiment design are very welcome to share the ( sometimes bitter yet hilarious in hindsight ) fruit of your work with us huddled masses. It's not rocket surgery. Lab experiment design is a simple checklist, a bit of planning, some thorough checking and the resilience to simultaneously accept and critique the data as it falls. Carn, we all talk about experiments we'd like to see done. Or exceptions to established practices we've seen work. Shared variants or refinements of new teks. Wanted to know why. Or wondered why the hell something didn't work out after we ( mostly ) followed the instructions. Workshop's interactive. Which means we need your input. Some of which can start here on the forums- reply with some pointers about your experiences or plans. During the workshop we'll welcome your thoughts, interjections, inspirations. Keep 'em coming, keep it moving Workshop's practice-based. Inasmuch as we're pointing at issues around design of theoretical experiments involving the legendary ethnobotanical Dragibus curiosa. Not sure what kind of experiment yet. Help us decide. A simple germination experiment? Optimal fertiliser requirements? The virtues of rhizobial inoulation? A cost/benefit comparison of propagation practices? Testing storage parameters for volatile compounds in the dry product? Determining genetic markers for drought tolerance? We'll settle the best questions on the day It'll be lighthearted. There *will* be lollies. Like all good laboratory-grade successes, some of them may be thrown at you, randomly. Some you must earn. Fate favours the prepared, apparently. It's serious business, experiment design-but that's no excuse not to have fun Bring your questions, your experience, your weird attitudes and your sense of humour. Edited November 4, 2017 by Darklight Add paragraph breaks 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darklight Posted November 2, 2017 Author Share Posted November 2, 2017 Seriously, youse all need to come to EGA. I do not use the word need lightly in this instance. 90% of the people who would be reminding you why you need to come are fully immersed in actually setting it up. Drowning in it almost, just so you will have a deadset brilliant time I've been on the very outer edges of the org team and I have seen so much legendary epicness coming to the event- so many brilliant presenters and things and food and.... just you wait! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torsten Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 I hear great research ideas every other day. Followed closely by all the reasons why that person isn't doing them. Most of the time the reasons aren't very good. It is often simply a matter of good planning and taking the first step. We want to help you get your head around the design so that you don't need excuses anymore. Most of the things you've ever wondered about can be turned into an experiment so you can get results and stop wondering... and stop other people from wondering. Having data is so much more fun than just having questions. So we will run you though some essential processes and make sure you are confident in applying them before we let you lose on a fun and rewarding experiment where you get to apply those concepts with instant rewards. You may have noticed that both Darklight and myself focus a lot on fun. That's not to make light of the work, but rather is an indicator of how we approach experiments. We've been doing them for a long time, voluntarily, out of personal interest. If they weren't fun we wouldn't still be doing them 30 years later. And we want to make sure you experience how good experiment design can ensure you ALWAYS get data that is of significance, ie every experiment is a success. Our workshop is NOT suitable for joining more than a few minutes into it, so make sure to be there from the start. You will need pen & paper, but everything else will be provided. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anodyne Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 This is a great idea guys! I was so stoked when I saw this workshop on the program. Teaching people to fish & all that... love yas Or maybe Terry Pratchett's variation on the fishing proverb fits better here: "Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life." 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darklight Posted November 5, 2017 Author Share Posted November 5, 2017 Most of the things you've ever wondered about can be turned into an experiment so you can get results and stop wondering... Hell yes. Even if your results are inconclusive you get to rule out a bunch of stuff and know where you stand with regards to progress. Every step is a step forward. You often do not need as many of the shiny toys as you think- the best thing you bring is attitude, reliability, accuracy, resilience and resourcefulness. Most people have these. Framing your question so it produces valid data is the next step. You may have noticed that both Darklight and myself focus a lot on fun. I think that's because, for many of us, science is such a social process. It's fun, joyous, revealing, sharing, infuriating, frustrating and above all it's creative. I never learned about those aspects in school ( I was kicked out of HS science for asking too many questions and stayed away til my early 30s ) Yep. Creative. Who'da thunk? I find the varying levels of experiment design, planning and execution similar in interplay to a Bach fugue- yes, the structure is important, but it's the contrapuntal nature of the different aspects of the process and the precision you bring to the work which evokes beauty and joy. Good science readily lends itself to networking, meeting more weird people with similar-but-different viewpoints on so many things who will teach you so much about your field and your worldview. I hear great research ideas every other day. Followed closely by all the reasons why that person isn't doing them. Yep me too. Those convos are so sad. Too many people underestimate their own talent and ability to contribute. Citizen-science projects like Fungimap and Atlas of Living Australia are prime examples of the scientific method being socially productive and fun- as well as making valuable contributions to scientific knowledge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obtuse Posted November 6, 2017 Share Posted November 6, 2017 grinning. cant wait. squeeee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Presidente Hillbillios Posted November 6, 2017 Share Posted November 6, 2017 On 11/2/2017 at 11:08 PM, Darklight said: There *will* be lollies. Ok,im in! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darklight Posted November 7, 2017 Author Share Posted November 7, 2017 On 11/6/2017 at 0:47 PM, obtuse said: grinning. cant wait. squeeee Awww.. I am so honoured that you of all ppl Obtuse are squee-ing at the thought of this, I really respect and admire your work Can't wait to do the Myco-agar workshop alongside you- that too will be an honour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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