April 23, 2008

  • All the world's a lab...

    AS THEY LIKE IT
    By: Wm Shakespipette

    All the world's a lab,
    And all the men and women merely subjects:
    They have theri theses and exams,
    And one doc in his time plans many experiments
    His notes in seven stages. At first the _undergrad_,
    mewlink and puking at the frat house jams.
    And then the winning _doctorate_, with his papers
    And statistical analysis, doing just enough
    If only to graduate. And then the _postdoc_,
    Wailing like hell, with a woeful ballad
    Of experiments gone sour. Then _assoicate prof_,
    Full of strange theories and requiring a tech,
    Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in temper,
    Seeking the bubble reputation
    While kissing the chairman's butt. And then the _tenure_,
    In fair round belly with good postdocs lined,
    With eyes severe and pen to thesis cut,
    Full of wise saws and forgotten techniques;
    And so he plays his part. The sixt stage shifts
    To the lean and slippered _chair_
    With spectacles on nose and job on the side,
    His theories of youth, well saved, a world to weird
    For his shrunk grant; and so his "go get'em" attitude
    Turning again towards mild caution, tempered
    Theories all around. Last scene of all,
    That ends this strange eventful history,
    Is status _emeritus_ and mere oblivion,
    sans students, sans postdocs, sans grants, sans everything.


    http://www.xs4all.nl/~jcdverha/scijokes/8_3.html#0423_7