The Happy Scientist

In this episode, we will decide whether you need a break, a nap, a vacation, a new job, or a new career. You don't have to burn the candle at both ends to make a success of your scientific career. Join us to figure out how to refresh, reset, retool, or redesign, as the case may be. Listen to all episodes of The Happy Scientist podcast: https://thehappyscientist.bitesizebio.com/ If you enjoyed this...

Do you have someone chattering at you all day long and that someone is you? If so, you're in good company. This is the common human condition. Sometimes though it feels like it's getting in the way. If you've ever had that experience, you will enjoy this episode as we unpack the voice in your head. We will be talking about how to manage this ever present voice and how to use it to best effect. Rea...

If your closest friends were instructed to list your three most prominent qualities, would “good listener” be among them? If not, tune in to this episode to learn how to be an Olympic level listener. In fact, tune in especially if you question the value of being a good listener. If you are already a good listener, you are probably going to tune in without further prompting -- because you value goo...

In this episode, which was recorded live, you'll learn how to properly wield humility—and still get credit where credit is due. How on earth will people ever know how great a job you do unless you tell them? How indeed. It seems like being humble will only cause you to live in a shadow. But is that really so? Listen to all episodes of The Happy Scientist podcast: https://thehappyscientist.bitesize...

In this episode, which was recorded live, you'll discover more about what it takes to go from being merely efficient to optimized. Have you ever been accused of being a control freak or an obsessive in the lab? Sure, you just want to get things right. But there is a better way. Listen to all episodes of The Happy Scientist podcast: https://thehappyscientist.bitesizebio.com/ If you enjoyed this epi...

In this episode, which was recorded live, you'll discover how to do more than just get paid or add another line to your CV/résumé — and how you can be a scientist and be happy at the same time. This episode is aimed at working scientists. It's more than just a job to you. It may even be more than just a career — it's your life. You want to get the most out of it and you actually want to enjoy it —...

In this episode, I interview a scientist who found out the lab is not a required component, in fact sometimes not even a desirable component for a real career in science. The interviewee: my co-host Nick Oswald PhD., founder of Bitesizebio.com. Hear us go all inception on what is necessary to become a happy scientist. Listen to all episodes of The Happy Scientist podcast: https://thehappyscientist...

Life would be great...if it wasn’t for my boss. You wouldn’t be alone in thinking that. But let's face it, bosses are a necessary part of life. And they can serve many useful purposes. So how can you make sure they make your life better, not worse? In this episode, we will discuss how to manage your boss in such a way that your life and work get better. Listen to all episodes of The Happy Scientis...

The English poet John Donne famously wrote, “No man is an island, entire of itself.” So how do you get off of your Island and start including others in your work? It may be the people that work for you, the people that work with you, or even the people for whom you work. Tune into this episode to find out more. Listen to all episodes of The Happy Scientist podcast: https://thehappyscientist.bitesi...

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. You had such high expectations. You had plans. And then came the crushing blow. Now what? In this episode, we deal with disappointment. And by “deal with”, we don’t just mean discuss, we mean handle it and put it to bed. If you could use some of that, come and join us. Listen to all episodes of The Happy Scientist podcast: https://thehappyscientist.bitesizebio.c...

Many of us look back with nostalgia to a time when we used to just live in our imagination. But for so many of us, the necessities of math and hard science have made us forgo all that. What if you could take all that hard won math and science forward and still have the imagination? In this episode, we will discuss how to make imagination a regular part of your happy scientific career. Listen to al...

You are educated, informed, and engaged. You are opinionated, and rightly so. And as you look around, you see that your lab, your industry, maybe the entire world is completely on the wrong track. So do you speak up or do you keep quiet? In this episode, we will consider when and how you should speak your peace and when it is time to hold your powder. Listen to all episodes of The Happy Scientist...

There's what you know, what you don't know...then there's what you don't know you don't know. That third category is the biggest and it's the one where all the fun stuff is. So how do you get into that third expanse and make effective use of it? We're going to tackle that in this episode. Listen to all episodes of The Happy Scientist podcast: https://thehappyscientist.bitesizebio.com/ If you enjoy...

How much is too much when it comes to helping others? In our quest to be collaborative, we can make other people's priorities the only things that matter. Where is the line when it comes to giving? And when are there declining returns? In this episode we will examine the healthy way to give and the unhealthy way. Listen to all episodes of The Happy Scientist podcast: https://thehappyscientist.bite...

So it has finally happened: you are ready to admit that you need some help. So now what? In this episode, find out how to get others to willingly and eagerly assist you in accomplishing whatever it is you need to get done. In short, find out that you are not alone. Listen to all episodes of The Happy Scientist podcast: https://thehappyscientist.bitesizebio.com/ If you enjoyed this episode and want...

There’s the right way, the wrong way, and {pick one: your government’s way, your industry’s way, your university’s way, your company’s way, your PI’s way}. What about your way? Before you give up on that notion, have a listen to this episode. Listen to all episodes of The Happy Scientist podcast: https://thehappyscientist.bitesizebio.com/ If you enjoyed this episode and want more practical tips on...

From politics to Star Wars, hope has been held out as the answer to all our problems. But let's face it, it took another couple Star Wars movies before things worked out. So when is hope useful, when is it useless, and when does it actually get in the way? We'll cover all that in this episode. Listen to all episodes of The Happy Scientist podcast: https://thehappyscientist.bitesizebio.com/ If you...

Is gratitude for saps? Is it irrelevant? Is it a nice-to-have or is it a deal maker? And what does this have to do with happiness and especially, science? In this episode we will unpack gratitude, its costs, its rewards, and how to effectively implement it. Listen to all episodes of The Happy Scientist podcast: https://thehappyscientist.bitesizebio.com/ If you enjoyed this episode and want more pr...

You may claim an inexhaustible allegiance to opportunity and a devotional belief in possibility. Yet a prevalent attitude of scarcity has a way of lurking in the shadows, surreptitiously sliding in among the positive things and exacting a heavy toll. Scarcity is a low grade fever, it is a virus that syphons off energy and makes itself more and more dominant. In this episode we will show you where...

“It depends.” How many of your positions in your work and your life are dependent on something else? And what is that “something else” based on? At some point, you have to get to the bottom of things. In this episode we will discuss learning how to wield unconditionality as an indispensable step in learning the fundamentals of discovery. Listen to all episodes of The Happy Scientist podcast: https...

Do you ever fantasize about how much better your life and career would be if you could control everything in your world? An occasional idle fantasy about control is a diversion. But becoming consumed with control is rarely successful -- and always stressful. In this episode we will discuss a different approach used by many successful people to get better results at a lower cost. Listen to all epis...

Most of us have to-do lists. In fact, you may be using sophisticated tools for this purpose, and you are well versed in their use. But some days you only complete your list at the edge of exhaustion -- or not at all. What went wrong? It may have been all the things not on your to-do list. So what if you had a Not-To-Do list? In this episode, we will discuss an effective technique that combats how...

What would mindfulness have to do with being a scientist? What would it have to do with a scientist being productive, successful and dare we say: happy? Join us on this episode where we will discuss what neuroscientists, PhD’s and prominent thinkers have found is true about the state of mind you bring to the lab, and how to support a state of mind that offers the most effective and creative approa...

Is efficiency important to you? In the quest for the shortest path between two points, many people opt for multitasking. Some folks are particularly proud of how good they think they are at it. But how are they measuring success? And is multitasking the guaranteed way to success? In this episode we will talk about a clinical study that sheds some surprising light on the value (and danger) of multi...

Surely you would willingly acknowledge you have a conscious mind. You would likely (though cautiously) also acknowledge you have a subconscious mind. But do you think you have any way to control or at least guide your subconscious mind? And even if you could, would it serve any useful purpose? Catch this episode to see how you can dramatically alter any trajectory in your life, whether in your car...