How to Build a Bad Research Center (2013)
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How to Build a Bad Research Center (2013)
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Re: How to Build a Bad Research Center (2013)
#2> Good Commandment 5. Thou shalt disturb thy neighbors.
> Researchers have found that innovation is enhanced if all participants work in a single open space less than 50 meters across, as it encourages spontaneous discussions across disciplines.[viii] The goal is for the space to support concentration and communication. For example, for the last four centers of Table I, the faculty gave up their private offices to be embedded with students and postdocs in open space, where only the meeting rooms have walls.[ix] Faculty access draws students from their home offices to the lab, which increases chances of interactions. A downside of shared space is the cost of remodeling to create an attractive open space . This is a one-time capital expense, since following projects will use it, but even so, the cost was equal to just two students over the life of a center. Shared open space is certainly more beneficial to a center than a few more students
I have to wonder how they get any research done.
http://heeris.id.au/2013/this-is-why-you-shouldnt-interrupt-...
Do they normally have very quiet participants and students?
Re: How to Build a Bad Research Center (2013)
#3> Good Commandment 5. Thou shalt disturb thy neighbors. > Researchers have found that innovation is enhanced if all participants work in a single open space less than 50 meters across, as it encourages spontaneous discussions across disciplines.[viii] The goal is for the space to support concentration and communication. For example, for the last four centers of Table I, the faculty gave up their private offices to be…
I work in one of these labs. I suppose if you really need to do work, a pair of headphones suffice. But the open space makes it really easy to have visitors (there are a lot of them), as well as the aforementioned interacting w/ neighbors. It's certainly more interesting than working alone in an office or at home.
The meeting offices are mentioned briefly, but those see quite a bit of use as well.
Re: How to Build a Bad Research Center (2013)
#4> Good Commandment 5. Thou shalt disturb thy neighbors. > Researchers have found that innovation is enhanced if all participants work in a single open space less than 50 meters across, as it encourages spontaneous discussions across disciplines.[viii] The goal is for the space to support concentration and communication. For example, for the last four centers of Table I, the faculty gave up their private offices to be…
Management really believes that the open space is more collaborative and has a better "buzz" that really does feel, to the manager, like more work is getting done.
Of course, employees hate open space. Constant distractions, and the pervasive feeling of being watched by everyone, all the time.
It's really interesting that management is so out of touch. (I say this as a manager who loved big open offices, until I read on HN - 1000 times over - how consistently employees hate open offices).
Re: How to Build a Bad Research Center (2013)
#5> It’s hard to predict information technology trends much longer than five years. We start a center based on our best guess of what new opportunities will present themselves in 7 to 10 years
What do people here think are opportunities that are not available now, but will be in 7-10 years?
Re: How to Build a Bad Research Center (2013)
#6> Good Commandment 5. Thou shalt disturb thy neighbors. > Researchers have found that innovation is enhanced if all participants work in a single open space less than 50 meters across, as it encourages spontaneous discussions across disciplines.[viii] The goal is for the space to support concentration and communication. For example, for the last four centers of Table I, the faculty gave up their private offices to be…
These environments make it really easy to "borrow" your neighbours equipment when they are not around. When I was a student I used to start the week with a trip around the big lab reclaiming all our labs equipment.
Re: How to Build a Bad Research Center (2013)
#7> Good Commandment 5. Thou shalt disturb thy neighbors. > Researchers have found that innovation is enhanced if all participants work in a single open space less than 50 meters across, as it encourages spontaneous discussions across disciplines.[viii] The goal is for the space to support concentration and communication. For example, for the last four centers of Table I, the faculty gave up their private offices to be…
Management really believes that the open space is more collaborative and has a better "buzz" that really does feel, to the manager, like more work is getting done. Of course, employees hate open space. Constant distractions, and the pervasive feeling of being watched by everyone, all the time. It's really interesting that management is so out of touch. (I say this as a manager who loved big open offices, until I read…
I think it's the same reason managers have a reputation for booking meetings far beyond what's reasonable. It works... for them. For the managers lots of meetings really does result in getting more work done. The thought seems to rarely cross their minds that meetings are crippling for almost any non-management role, doubly so if it involves any kind of creativity.
Re: How to Build a Bad Research Center (2013)
#8> Good Commandment 5. Thou shalt disturb thy neighbors. > Researchers have found that innovation is enhanced if all participants work in a single open space less than 50 meters across, as it encourages spontaneous discussions across disciplines.[viii] The goal is for the space to support concentration and communication. For example, for the last four centers of Table I, the faculty gave up their private offices to be…
I work in one of these labs. I suppose if you really need to do work, a pair of headphones suffice. But the open space makes it really easy to have visitors (there are a lot of them), as well as the aforementioned interacting w/ neighbors. It's certainly more interesting than working alone in an office or at home. The meeting offices are mentioned briefly, but those see quite a bit of use as well.
Careful with the headphones. If they are loud enough to obscure the noise of your coworkers, they are probably loud enough to damage your hearing if used every day.
Re: How to Build a Bad Research Center (2013)
#9> It’s hard to predict information technology trends much longer than five years. We start a center based on our best guess of what new opportunities will present themselves in 7 to 10 years What do people here think are opportunities that are not available now, but will be in 7-10 years?
Well, sustainable fusion is 30 years out and the singularity is 50, so there's that.
Internet of Extremely Shitty Things[1] for sure.
Actual Cloud (Now with Grey Goo!®).
Available now, but not pursued to the fullest: in-body medical/monitoring devices; self driving cars.
Re: How to Build a Bad Research Center (2013)
#10Contrary to what he writes, I don't see how well this translates to disciplines doing pure rather than applied work.