So tomorrow is the day – my first day at the European XFEL.
There is much to do until the facility is ready for science in 2014 – first, there are contracts to sign by a number of different countries, the organizational structure to finalize… and, not least, the buildings, tunnels and enormous, expensive toy itself to be built.
As far as I can tell – the XFEL being a new thing without a pre-existing organizational structure – the biggest expectation of me is that I’ll help implement whatever the five directors decide.
Meanwhile, it’s a bit like the first day at a new school: Will I get along with everyone? Will I be able to keep up? Will I meet the expectations?
I met most of my future coworkers at a barbecue two weeks ago and had a great time. I am in three of the photos that were posted afterwards – on each of those, I was either eating or holding a beer in my hand. So we got off to a good start, obviously.
It will be incredibly busy, there is much to do – but I promise I won’t turn into this…
Hey, there isn’t even the remotest resemblance!
I should try to get some sleep now, I guess.
Good luck! I hope it goes well. First days are always so tiring, it’s a great idea to start on a Wednesday so you don’t have to survive 5 full days before your first break!
Thanks Cath! My first meeting is at 9 am tomorrow morning :)
In at the deep end? Lovely.
Oooh, good luck. It could be a lot of fun.
What’s the time line for fitting the laser to the sharks?
Thanks Bob, sorry for the delay – I was too busy having fun at my new job today :)
They’re not sharks, we couldn’t get those – they’re ill-tempered bass.
Good luck Steffi! Charge!!!!
I hope the thing is as cool-looking as the photos on the front page of the website… :)
the XFEL being a new thing without a pre-existing organizational structure
Isn’t it just great how this happens? A worldwide phenomenon. :)
They’re not sharks, we couldn’t get those – they’re ill-tempered bass.
NN should have a memorable quotes section, and that belongs in it.
I second Richard’s notion. That was a true laugh-out-louder.
You don’t get this quality of humo(u)r on scienceblogs, you know.
Now, now. What’s up with people changing over to scienceblogs, anyway? How could you not want to stay here – with all the whimsy, jollity, and quirky formatting?
@Richard W: I hope the thing is as cool-looking as the photos on the front page of the website… the really SF looking photo is of the undulators, which (and here is where being a biologist among physicists comes in handy – I can sound as daft as I want!) cause the accelerated electrons to zig zag and emit x-ray flashes. I promise I’ll get into this more, so I can explain it better. Anyway, we’re still at the stage of digging enormous holes in the ground, so seeing the undulators in action is still a stretch away!
(Now what I really look forward to is to bicycle three kilometers underground below Hamburg along the tunnel…)
…and much as I’d absolutely love to claim the ill-tempered bass for myself :)
Ah… long time since I’ve seen that. You should have claimed credit, Steffi :)
I’ve only just seen your post, Steffi, so you’ve started now – I really hope you are enjoying it and are dancing in your trainers still, rather than pinstriped and sharkskin-shoed.
I do actually have a vague recollection that people have looked at shark (skin) in synchrotrons – collagen, that is. But maybe I have finally gone insane, instead of merely teetering on the brink. There is certainly a lot of good “diffractive” work on fish muscle crossbridges (my ex-field, but I stuck to insects and molluscs on the whole) – can’t remember the species, but pretty sure not shark.
Maxine – the day I get caught in a pinstripe suit, I’ll have to take some time out and do some serious thinking…
;-)
I do actually have a vague recollection that people have looked at shark (skin) in synchrotrons – collagen, that is. But maybe I have finally gone insane, instead of merely teetering on the brink. There is certainly a lot of good “diffractive” work on fish muscle crossbridges (my ex-field, but I stuck to insects and molluscs on the whole) – can’t remember the species, but pretty sure not shark.
I think that may just be the most unusual paragraph of text I’ve come across on NN yet. “Unusual” being a compliment, of course. ;)