Page 72 of Love in the Lab
[laughing emoji] The preprint’s blowing up on the site
Molly:
Really??
Molly:
Omg I just looked. How did people even find it so quickly??
Jonathan:
Dr. Gantt’s name carries a lot of weight
Jonathan:
Almost as much as Dr. Molly Delaney
Monday morning, I pick Molly up on my way into the lab. She sits in the passenger seat refreshing the browser on her phone over and over again. The online conversation around our preprint has grown even more.
Molly reads a comment aloud for me. “The analysis of the real-time water property data during the hurricane provides valuable insights that haven't been well-documented before.”
I hardly have time to react when she smacks my arm excitedly. “Listen to this one! ‘The discussion section effectively highlights the broader implications of these findings for coastal management.’”
I chuckle. “Are you just cherry-picking the positive ones?”
“No,” she grumbles. “Here’s one giving a suggestion. ‘The study focuses on one tropical event. It would be valuable to discuss the potential for variability across different tropical storm and hurricane characteristics.’”
I scratch my chin. “That’s a good point. Can we add that before we submit it to a journal?”
“Sure. We haven’t even decided which journal we want to submit to yet.”
Those are our next steps: choosing a journal and making edits to our manuscript before we submit.
Molly’s still glued to her phone as we park, walk through the parking lot, and ride the elevator up the second floor.
As if she’s been waiting for us, Dr. Gantt catches us the moment we walk into the office. She ushers us into her office and closes the door.
“Is everything okay?” I ask as I slide into a chair. Molly sits down next to me.
“Very much so,” Dr. Gantt answers with a smile. “I take it you’ve seen the reactions online to the preprint?” We both nod. “I just received a call from the head of the conference committee at CERA.”
Molly and I exchange glances. The Coast and Estuary Research Association is one of the major nonpartisan organizations whose mission is to promote research in the coastal environmental sciences. Their annual conference is coming up in just a few weeks.
“They’re inviting us to come to the conference to share our findings,” Dr. Gantt finishes.
I check Molly’s expression before I let myself react. Her eyes are wide and glowing. “Are you serious?” she squeals.
“One hundred percent,” Dr. Gantt answers.
I grin at Molly’s excitement. I don’t love conferences, even just attending. They feel so stuffy and pretentious to me. And if you’re presenting, the pressure is high. It’s a great opportunity, though, so I’ll grin and bear it. Especially for Molly.
We discuss logistics. The conference is in Las Vegas the week before Thanksgiving, just two and a half weeks away.
As soon as I hear the location, I can’t help but laugh. “A coast and estuary conference in the middle of the desert? Are they all sick of scenic ocean views, or what?”
Dr. Gantt makes a disapproving face. “More like they want easy access to gambling and alcohol.”
I chuckle again. Scientists gone wild. Got it. Maybe the conference won’t be as stuffy and pretentious as I fear, though drunk and rowdy isn’t exactly my scene, either.
