Read the Fucking Manual!?

I had to think twice before deciding what I should write down for the title of this entry. I've had several reactions from a single event today, kind of hard to discuss both reactions simultaneously so I've decided to focus on one reaction at the moment-- that is my semi pissed reaction.

I spent yesterday afternoon talking to the research associate on finding a way to better encourage information and skill exchange at the lab. Microelectric Electric Machines (MEMs) is a tough subject, especially when it comes to fabrication (design and testing are hard too, but I am going focus on fabrication). If you're wondering what MEMs is, it's about making really small things, like a miniature motor that is about the size of a millimeter, sensors smaller than a strand of hair, even measurement devices that can weigh the mass of a single atom. To make these sensors, we use a variety of chemicals and masks (think cookie cutters) to carve chunks of silicon into useful devices. The process is very sensitive and not well controlled and hence, it is easy to screw up!

In theory, theory and practice are the same thing; in practice, they are different. I can attend seminars learning about how processes work and what is available. There is a BIG difference between actually doing these things. I need that knowledge to useful work!

Sure the manuals exist, they tell you the basics, but you're going to screw up these processes and also you're not going to be able to do them in the most optimal manner at first. People with practice will know the details on how things work... like how not to contaminate your sample, know why certain materials cannot be used together; things that manuals cannot possibly cover in proper detail in one sitting, either that or it becomes a monstrosity where people can't filter out quickly the useful bits. Asking questions is useful because people filter out the useful bits quickly; they can show you how something works and even mention benign details that one might not think to cover in a manual.

More importantly, there are loads of equipment at the lab. More than 50 machines, a variety of processes on how to make things and software that people use to design stuff. A lot of skill is required. I know for a fact that many people are having the same problems as I, that problem being how do you learn to use these processes/equipment and how do you learn to do them well in a timely manner?

I have a problem that I faced recently. There is an electron beam system used to make patterns. I am told that the average person can get patterns as small as 200 nm, a good user can get it down to 100 nm, then it was recently published by a user of that system that he got resolution down to 50 nm! I then asked the obvious question, "How do I learn how to make patterns at the 50 nm level?" The response I got was troubling... "well you first read the manual, get someone to teach you the basics then you try out different conditions until you can get 50 nm resolution." I asked, "how long does that take?" The response, "Well that can probably take 3 days." What the hell?!

This is a problem, that there is knowledge that isn't passed around. There has got to be a better way of learning. So I spent the better part of a Friday afternoon talking with the research associate and a friend of mine on how to get people to exchange this information. There are 50 people in this lab, there is lots of knowledge floating around how do we find a way to exchange this knowledge? This problem is being worked on-- since this summer, a seminar series on how to teach people the basics of MEMs processing. The problem is that it's just a seminar, it's all theory... there isn't anything practical in it. I thought about changing that.

I thought that finding a way to setup a practical seminar would be a great idea. Setup a short lecture on the basics of a process or machine, then go in afterwards and have the person show everyone how it works, what to watch out for and what to expect. I felt, that would be way more instructional.

I came to this conclusion 3 weeks ago, after I gave a seminar to my research group, a group of 15 people out of the 50. It was on Laplace transforms and it's applications to analog filters. The math isn't so bad, but it takes a good presentation and summery to truly understand it. I even made a stereo equalizer system and plugged music through it and showed them how the theory was applied. I even answered some in depth questions (which is rare because people don't usually ask questions) and even showed some interesting points they should watch out for electronic circuits (ie bad circuit wiring...). The response was very positive-- I ended my seminar with applause from my peers, which is rare for seminars (most people zone out because seminars are usually very BORING). So I thought, "ah ha!" this is it, this is how we can learn better!

There is this German guy in the lab, very bright, fairly well respected, into his second year of his Ph.D. He made a presentation to the professors and his research group a month back talking about the problems of education, why this lab could be better than it is currently is. I sat in because the meeting occurred in an open space right behind my desk. I took his comments to heart, because that was exactly how I felt about certain things in this education system. So I was feeling good about preparing this extra presentation, that it might gain some support. But alas, it wasn't the hit that I wanted it to be.

I presented this morning. I had all of 4 slides. Make a short announcement, say 10~15 minutes get some feedback and it'd be over. It dragged on for an hour. It dragged on because the German guy was too busy trying to shoot me down and kept trying to put me on the defensive. "Well why don't you read the manual about [such and such]" he'd say. I'd tell him, "there are things that the manual does not cover." He'd tell me "don't you ask people for advice?" I'd ask him back "I do, but how do you ask questions about things that you don't even know about?" To me, these are not constructive questions-- this was an attack, ridicule, insult, whatever. People that attack in this manner do not earn my respect. I found this behavior to be... offensive (literally).

He even attempted to ridicule me by saying out loud how I arranged a meeting with him but delayed it for 30 minutes at the last minute. What? Are you trying to paint me as irresponsible? I delayed it because some people were going to teach someone how to use a machine and I even told him about it and he said OK. I was not willing to turn this conversation into a squabble over this, this comment was irrelevant but I knew it had other implications.

I got some support from the professors, not full support but some positive feedback. They also told me that it was my responsibility to learn some of these things on my own. That's fine, but it costs time to learn mistakes that others have made, I prefer to avoid that-- they're missing the point. There was no resolution by the end. The profs talked about writing some of the manuals in English, okay... I can mostly read the Japanese ones but they missed the point.

I told the German guy directly to set the record straight that I postponed our meeting by 30 mins because I wanted to go off and learn how to use one of the other machines. He told me "yeah I know." Good grief. "Yeah, Fuck you" I wanted to say.

One of the professors that didn't entirely support my idea had a seminar that day on filters and their group was like a boat with no paddle trying to go upstream-- no one knew what was going on. The professor didn't have a clue either... and he's a grad from the all-oh-so-famous University of Tokyo. The only reason why I was in on the presentation was because they do their seminar right behind where I sit. So I do the good Samaritan thing and help out and clarify the problem they had and show them some of the basics.

I decide to drive my point home by telling him and his group that I'd be willing to give them a practical seminar on filters and the theory behind it next week. He tells me, "I want to figure all of this out now." I shrugged and asked, "what else seems to be the problem?" He told me "Give me a bit, let me figure out the question." Seriously, that is what he said. I shrugged and gave him time... then at the end he tells his group "alright, could someone present how this equation works next week?" An American friend in the group, (can't speak much Japanese) says "sure, I can... could've solved this an hour ago but I didn't know what was going on," (for his masters thesis, he studied all of this stuff backwards and forwards.... see what I'm getting at?) I was shaking my head internally.

Hours later, I went for a dinner with some students studying English in my class that invited me over to their house. Feeling much better and now, I am here contemplating whether I should confront the German guy to figure out what was all that about. First he discuses this problem to the professors publicly about an education/skill problem... then shoots me down later for proposing a solution? Is this selfish ambition? Is it worth getting to the bottom of this and dealing with the implications of his actions? What is the aftermath? It is still worth getting to the bottom of it? Damn it, I'm curious.

Honestly speaking, if that was an attack on me and I have him figured, then he should be shot down for it. That kind of behavior should not be tolerated. The only problem is that he's considered the smartest guy in the lab. Dealing with equals isn't a problem, dealing with slight superiors isn't an issue either. But when you've got a guy that's leaps and bounds ahead in knowledge and skill while I don't even have 1/3 of that knowledge... while I might feel that I am holding the high cards, it just doesn't seem wise to play them.

Politics... bah. Things like this just gets in the way. I might not like it, but that's life-- deal with it. Well I am glad that I wrote this out. I have a better idea of what I should do now (did I mention that writing essays is a way to figure things out?)

I'm not going to bother confronting the German guy-- it isn't worth the fallout or the price of knowing. I'm going to have to learn the hard way. If I have a way to change things, do it bottom up (ie find a way that does not require the support of administration and the lab to support). If it works, then it'll catch on. Maybe, one day when I am further up the ladder, a top down approach might work.

So tell me what would you people do?

(2,000 words in 2 hours, I write most when annoyed!)