The third day was easy. I've successfully avoided jury selection and am now free and clear for the next four years. Whew.
I'm working through Monday because next week I'm going to be volunteering for a medical research study that is bound to debilitate me. Yep, for those of you who wonder how I am able to continue to enjoy the lifestyle to which have become accustomed, in addition to my three jobs, I also volunteer for paid medical research studies. They have varying degrees of discomfort, from the mild (a morning of having an IV and getting what turned out to be a placebo injected - $250) to the intensely uncomfortable (2 5 hour sessions of laying absolutely motionless in a PET scanner after being injected with a radioactive chemical, with a 6-inch long needle in one arm and an IV in the other - $500) to the undoable (wearing a gas mask and being forced to inhale a carbon-dioxide rich gas mixture to induce an anxiety attack - $? too difficult, couldn't complete the study.)
I'm not entirely certain where this next study will rank. In terms of invasiveness it's an all-time low, just a blood sample (which I gave today), two fMRI scans and a session of low-intensity TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation.) Here's the catch - I have to show up at 8AM on Tuesday. I leave at 4PM on Thursday. No sleeping in between. It's a sleep deprivation study, funded by DARPA (yes, the same agency that built Metal Gear). They want to the see effects of acute sleep deprivation on memory and cognition. So during the study I'm given a bunch of memory tests and have to do this crazy government-style flight simulator that monitors how well I can simultaneously balance a bunch of different tasks. Oh, and all of this has to be done without the aid of any chemicals - so no drugs, no nicotine, caffeine or even sugar. It should be.... interesting.
I think I'll have internet access while I'm there, so I'll make a point of writing a journal entry when I'm really sleep deprived. It should be entertaining to read afterwards.
I spoke with some friends tonight who I haven't seen in a long time. It's kind of sad to admit it, but the fact that we haven't hung out at all has a lot to do with SG. Since I've been spending a lot of time with my SG friends I've sort of lost touch with other people. Which is kind of unfortunate. So I'm going to try and devote some more time this summer to hanging out with friends who I've sort of left by the wayside in meeting new people.
I'm working through Monday because next week I'm going to be volunteering for a medical research study that is bound to debilitate me. Yep, for those of you who wonder how I am able to continue to enjoy the lifestyle to which have become accustomed, in addition to my three jobs, I also volunteer for paid medical research studies. They have varying degrees of discomfort, from the mild (a morning of having an IV and getting what turned out to be a placebo injected - $250) to the intensely uncomfortable (2 5 hour sessions of laying absolutely motionless in a PET scanner after being injected with a radioactive chemical, with a 6-inch long needle in one arm and an IV in the other - $500) to the undoable (wearing a gas mask and being forced to inhale a carbon-dioxide rich gas mixture to induce an anxiety attack - $? too difficult, couldn't complete the study.)
I'm not entirely certain where this next study will rank. In terms of invasiveness it's an all-time low, just a blood sample (which I gave today), two fMRI scans and a session of low-intensity TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation.) Here's the catch - I have to show up at 8AM on Tuesday. I leave at 4PM on Thursday. No sleeping in between. It's a sleep deprivation study, funded by DARPA (yes, the same agency that built Metal Gear). They want to the see effects of acute sleep deprivation on memory and cognition. So during the study I'm given a bunch of memory tests and have to do this crazy government-style flight simulator that monitors how well I can simultaneously balance a bunch of different tasks. Oh, and all of this has to be done without the aid of any chemicals - so no drugs, no nicotine, caffeine or even sugar. It should be.... interesting.
I think I'll have internet access while I'm there, so I'll make a point of writing a journal entry when I'm really sleep deprived. It should be entertaining to read afterwards.
I spoke with some friends tonight who I haven't seen in a long time. It's kind of sad to admit it, but the fact that we haven't hung out at all has a lot to do with SG. Since I've been spending a lot of time with my SG friends I've sort of lost touch with other people. Which is kind of unfortunate. So I'm going to try and devote some more time this summer to hanging out with friends who I've sort of left by the wayside in meeting new people.
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I'm a research assistant for two professors, which means I spend a lot of time in the library reading and writing. It's kind of like classes never ended.
As a future member of the legal profession, I am shocked, yes shocked to learn you wanted to get out of jury duty. Good luck with the medical experiment.