Thursday, February 5, 2009

Laptops and neck strain

Over the last few weeks, I've been writing a scientific paper, which involves spending long days in front of the computer. And my keen scientific mind has detected a pattern: the more time I spend on my cherished little Macintosh laptop, the more my neck hurts at the end of the day. That's right, my paper is a pain in the neck - literally.

I consulted with my housemate Joel about this, who is A. a genius and B. knowledgeable about Macbooks. He lent me his wireless keyboard and mouse. "It lets you point your head in one place and your arms somewhere else," he explained. "Just gives you an extra degree of freedom." This would surely prevent me from future trauma, but what of my current pain in the neck?

Last time, y'all recommended a hot water bottle. I decided to go one further and fire up the big dog: our hot tub, which overlooks the bay. I got my old yeshiva buddy Yuda to join me. The soak was perfect and my neck thanked me after.

As a scientist, I'm fascinated by questions of tissue homeostasis. How does every day wear-and-tear on our bodies affect us fifty years down the road? What proportion of human aging can be reduced simply by taking ergonomic precautions? Whether it's typing, pipetting, or standing for hours on end, ergonomics come up a lot in the lab. From a biology standpoint, this field is wide open.

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5 comments:

Sim said...

um, looks like you guys are having a lot of fun...
tissue homeostasis does sound cool tho. Who's Yuda btw?

Dvora Meyers said...

I see your neck pain and raise you a sprained but healing thumb and a knee that objects to walking the three flights of stairs up to my apartment. And I'm only 26!

Btw, I just added you to my blog roll.

Anonymous said...

I could've done without the hot tub picture.

Anonymous said...

writing a paper, that's great. Good luck!
Yael

Samurai Scientist said...

@Sim,
tissue homeostasis does sound cool tho.

it is! Join me and we can start a stem cell company.

Who's Yuda btw?

AKA Yehuda...

@Devora,
I see your neck pain and raise you a sprained but healing thumb and a knee that objects to walking the three flights of stairs up to my apartment. And I'm only 26!

As a breakdancer, I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking about. We scientists could probably learn a lot about the body talking to you guys.

Btw, I just added you to my blog roll

Thanks! You are on mine already.

@Dave L,
I could've done without the hot tub picture.

I guess I won't be posting my beefcake shots...

@Yael,
writing a paper, that's great. Good luck!

Thanks, I'm gonna need it :)