A few nights ago I found out that my idea concerning a research problem doesn't work. Worse yet, it's the sort of error which occurs late at night when you're excited and really want it to work .. but in the light of day it's painfully obvious that it can't possibly work and you become ashamed that you even thought of it.
But it would have been such a nice idea .. you would have just computed this and piggy-back'ed on that paper .. there would still be much to do, but at least it would then be tenable ..
Bah. Argh. Hmph.
Back to square one, I guess.
It feels like something fundamental is missing from the context of the problem .. just a nagging feeling that I can't seem to shake. The best way I can describe this are those moments when you remember something and it's on the tip of your tongue, but you can't remember the exact word.
It's something like that, except that I'm not remembering but discovering .. more like solving a crime. A mechanism is missing, I can feel it and imagine it somewhat, but I don't know what it is.
Curses! I should be finishing the particulars to my talk, or planning out how to approach a potential advisor .. something. As much as I love pursuing this problem, I have to set it aside because other things must come first.
Business before pleasure, and all that.
This is what I mean: in my mind this is not thesis work, but an idle curiosity of some small importance. It should be set aside if I want to get anything done as a graduate student.
1 comment:
About the lack of time. It takes an awful lot of time to dig out a 3' hole in the ground with a teaspoon. (It's not the best way to spend your time, either.) And whose job is it to ensure that the tools that you have are adequate for the task at hand? Your advisor's.
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