Being a researcher, specially a field researcher, carries with it a certain dignified glamour. Documentaries capture the essence of the majesty and power of nature, and what wonderful work it must be to be up close and personal to these timeless moments… right?
Er… not always.
#FieldWorkFails is the latest hashtag to take over Twitter, and the shared scientific hijinks just keep the fun rolling.
Scientists in the field, we salute you. The things you put yourselves through just ain’t easy.
Your face when the thing happens.
Lick tiny object to discern if fossil/rock. Fossil. Sticks to tongue. Coughing fit from dust. Sharp inhale. Swallow fossil. #fieldworkfail
— TSV (@tattoosandbones) July 31, 2015
We spent hours digging the truck out of mud only to realize we forgot to put it in 4WD #FieldWorkFail @stri_panama pic.twitter.com/XL3nIIY4Gg
— Susan Finkbeiner (@Fink_about_it) August 4, 2015
Need to cross river. Jump. Miss. Wet as a drowned rat. No spare clothes. Scramble up bank. See bridge 40m away round a bend #fieldworkfail
— Little Miss Enigma (@littlemsenigma) August 4, 2015
Sometimes, animals are great companions during field work..
Release banded and processed bird. Decides hair is nice nesting material #fieldworkfail @sharpe_diana @EcoEvoEvoEco pic.twitter.com/oKYWrhjqVC
— K. Gotanda (@photopidge) August 4, 2015
Definitely #fieldworkwin. But beware, tremendously curious (and destructive)! Bye, bye camera, #fieldworkfail? pic.twitter.com/TA5eNpJIIy
— Tessa van Walsum (@TessaAbigail) August 6, 2015
… And sometimes, not so much.
Was chased by this penguin for far longer than I care to admit after it realized I wasn’t a rock. #fieldworkfail pic.twitter.com/siRLgAS4xv
— Michelle LaRue (@drmichellelarue) August 6, 2015
When your drugged zebra finds the ONE tree on the Namibian plains, which also has a neck-height fork #fieldworkfail pic.twitter.com/2iUx2uxGNB
— Carrie Cizauskas (@CarrieCizauskas) August 3, 2015
Well, sometimes, they’re just curious.
Left bag open, found it covered in Bornean giant forest ants. #fieldworkfail They were friendly. #fieldworkwin pic.twitter.com/xLq8RsnWhQ
— V Bar V (@VBarV) August 4, 2015
Stopped to photograph a Spitting Cobra in South Africa during field work. Cobra crawled into my car #fieldworkfail pic.twitter.com/T6yGQibYeS
— Jessica Stapley (@jessstapley) August 4, 2015
Sometimes, too curious.
Stop to collect butterflies in Wisconsin. Leave windows down in car. Come back to car full of ~100 mosquitoes on the ceiling #fieldworkfail
— Pieris rapae (@PierisProject) August 4, 2015
and then there are animals who just eat everything. Everything.
Spend hours cataloging insects. Macaw sneaks up and eats them. Fellow students take pictures. #fieldworkfail pic.twitter.com/7qbUbOBelW
— Sarah Ranallo (@MotherofVega) August 4, 2015
Even the equipment.
When insect pollinators prefer to lick your stopwatch’s buttons and ignore flowers #fieldworkfail pic.twitter.com/PTJWu1fUF6
— Carlos.M.Herrera (@cmhmaliani) August 4, 2015
Specially the equipment.
Our diver, @Frosttortoise, has a new dive buddy who keeps eating his gear https://t.co/stTtayvnLz #FieldWorkFail pic.twitter.com/O4ZcnXNxnK
— Hakai Institute (@HakaiInstitute) August 7, 2015
and other animals. Dammit, Nature.
Released a goldfinch “Mr flappy” that was immediately captured by a falcon in front of 24 horrified middle school girls #fieldworkfail
— Jeff Stratford (@JeffAStratford) July 31, 2015
Spent an hour guiding lost baby turtle to the sea with 3 tourists watching. 30 secs after reaching the water, a fish eats it. #fieldworkfail
— John Conlin (@Herbington) August 4, 2015
Trap moved 100m off grid while trapping giant kangaroo rat, carried off by kit fox. Head rolls out of trap, still has ear tag #fieldworkfail
— Darren Newman (@DZ_Newman) August 5, 2015
And then there’s super-glueing things to things that shouldn’t be glued to.
Accidentally glued myself to a crocodile while attaching a radio transmitter. #fieldworkfail
— Agata Staniewicz (@AgataStaniewicz) July 30, 2015
Skillfully applied thousand dollar satellite tag to manta ray. The same manta ray I tagged yesterday #fieldworkfail pic.twitter.com/xHR1agskar
— Dr. Alistair Dove (@AlistairDove) July 31, 2015
Glued my pants to my skin by putting insect repellant on first then sweating #fieldworkfail #fieldworkfails
— Holly Dunsworth (@HollyDunsworth) August 4, 2015
And then, there’s the people.
After handwashing ALL my knickers & hanging them out, a gust of wind blows them all into the trees. Locals pissing themselves #fieldworkfail
— riselya (@AliceRisely) August 4, 2015
field assistant stopped coming after I said I didn’t want to marry him & live in 200-person village 4ever #fieldworkfail #distractinglysexy
— Lennikins (@Lenni825) August 4, 2015
Definitely the people.
Tricking the Expedition Leader with a 5 inch plastic leopard. #fieldworkfail @Brit_exploring pic.twitter.com/TZRUqAoR22
— George Crane (@GeorgeyCrane) August 4, 2015
Site near border: Being suspected as disguising detectives Facing real drug traffickers Getting delayed by hidden bombs #fieldworkfail
— จับฉ่าย (@i_pry) August 4, 2015
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