Good Idea

To have a really good nano-paper these days, you can't just make something cool. You also have to show that it does something. Catalysis, charge transfer, gas storage, julienne fries, - it doesn't really matter and it doesn't really have to be that great at it- it just has to show potential. Only then can you think about submitting your research to a killer Journal.

For a year now, I have been working with this material that I hoped would be good for X. After months of fighting with the synthesis, I finally had enough this week to really and conclusively test for X. However, it was soooooo bad at it, it actually had negative activity. That's right, it went backwards. This may sound interesting in itself, but unfortunately the reason is extraordinarily mundane.

Anyhoo, I broke the news to the boss- softened by telling him some other good news first- and he finally said the magic words, "We could just write it up as is..." but just as I was about to reply, he closed his eyes, held up a finger to stop my words and said,

"Wait, I have an idea coming...."

Then out of nowhere, on 30 seconds notice, he comes up with a genius idea to test for a different type of function, something I hadn't really though about. I totally wish had thought of that.

Now I am not saying all of my boss' ideas are good ones, and I have shot down my fair share, but I know a good idea when I see one and this one goes to show why the boss is the sage and the rest of us merely his protégés.

It is such a relief to be released from trying to prove activity for X. When no one was looking I was doing Toyota jumps in the hallway and leprechaun leaps on the way home.

Now, to work. I still have to see if this new idea works and there is a lot of reading time and lab time ahead in the next few days.