cjvitek
Well-known member
I am a biology professor/researcher, and I use the iPhone all the time! Ranging from field work, to in the class, and in the lab, having an iPhone comes in handy in any number of ways. There really isn't a "typical day" because my routine may vary so much, but i use the iPhone in just about every facet of my job!
If I am in the field, I use the GPS capabilities both when driving to field locations (Navigon and Magellan GPS apps are great) as well as identifying the actual GPS coordinates of various field sites (and of course taking pictures of the field sites is always important as well!). Of course, having continual access to email while I am in the field for multiple days at a time means I can keep in touch with the activities going on in my lab in my absence. And I don't need to worry about bringing a notebook with me - I can record the information directly on the iPhone notebook app! I often find my best ideas for new research projects come to me when driving back and forth from the field - now, when I think of something, I just use the voice recorder to record a memo so that I don't forget it (since I am an absent minded professor, after all).
In the lab, using Convert when trying how to mix up solutions and convert units for measurements is helpful - it makes me seem much smarted to my students. And when I am feeding colony mosquitoes by sticking my arm in the cage (yes, I do that), I can try to tune out the discomfort by listening to some tunes from my phone. In addition, I can use the timer app to let me know when my feeding schedule is over (and then it is time for my students to take their turn, bwah-hah-hah-hah!).
And lastly, in the classroom, when I am giving a test, rather than sit looking bored while students are frantically trying to remember everything they know about disease transmission models, I can amuse myself with a nice game of Jewel Quest or Battleships (sound off, of course). If I decide to actually be productive while my students are taking a test, I can use the Papers app to read some new manuscripts that have come out so I can keep on top of the research in my field.
Having these handy applications available at the touch of a button (figuratively) means that I don't have to lug extra equipment. And when the day is done, I can settle down and play a game of cribbage against my wife with the peer to peer connect option, as I wind down thinking about what I need to do the next day!
Chris
If I am in the field, I use the GPS capabilities both when driving to field locations (Navigon and Magellan GPS apps are great) as well as identifying the actual GPS coordinates of various field sites (and of course taking pictures of the field sites is always important as well!). Of course, having continual access to email while I am in the field for multiple days at a time means I can keep in touch with the activities going on in my lab in my absence. And I don't need to worry about bringing a notebook with me - I can record the information directly on the iPhone notebook app! I often find my best ideas for new research projects come to me when driving back and forth from the field - now, when I think of something, I just use the voice recorder to record a memo so that I don't forget it (since I am an absent minded professor, after all).
In the lab, using Convert when trying how to mix up solutions and convert units for measurements is helpful - it makes me seem much smarted to my students. And when I am feeding colony mosquitoes by sticking my arm in the cage (yes, I do that), I can try to tune out the discomfort by listening to some tunes from my phone. In addition, I can use the timer app to let me know when my feeding schedule is over (and then it is time for my students to take their turn, bwah-hah-hah-hah!).
And lastly, in the classroom, when I am giving a test, rather than sit looking bored while students are frantically trying to remember everything they know about disease transmission models, I can amuse myself with a nice game of Jewel Quest or Battleships (sound off, of course). If I decide to actually be productive while my students are taking a test, I can use the Papers app to read some new manuscripts that have come out so I can keep on top of the research in my field.
Having these handy applications available at the touch of a button (figuratively) means that I don't have to lug extra equipment. And when the day is done, I can settle down and play a game of cribbage against my wife with the peer to peer connect option, as I wind down thinking about what I need to do the next day!
Chris