The idea of people working in close proximity in isolated environments and yet being so siloed put me in mind of the International Space Station. Reading Scott Kelly's book ENDURANCE, I was truly shocked to discover how separate and "far apart" the US and Russian modules were, not physically (obviously) but socially. Aside from a once-a-week dinner, the only times astronauts from those modules interacted is if one needed help of some kind, such as with a repair. Entry from one into the other without an explicit invitation was strictly taboo, and they could go days without communicating at all. Who would have imagined that this situation could exist among half a dozen of the most acutely isolated humans in history?
Excellent observation. It would seem to me to be a lack of respect for the support group. I recently watched a video of Mike Rowe during which he mentioned a shocking, if true, statistic. Form every person who retires from the blue-collar trades, two take their place. Connecting the dots, this is going to have dire consequences for the scientific research.
I literally had a friend share a Mike Rowe video yesterday where he says that for every 5 people who retire as a tradesman only 2 replace them. From how I read your comment, it's the opposite. either way, you end up with an imbalance that makes things tough.
I saw a similar professional divide while working at the Very Large Array. I started at the as a technician and worked my way up to data analyst. The blue collar people feel isolated from the scientists, there was a big culture divide. There were some efforts by management to offer science talks and events were people could co-mingle, usually poorly attended by the workers for a few reasons. Over time i came to understand that many astrophysicists have poor social skills, almost to the point of seeming autistic. They just cannot relate to people who have to work for a living. So they all coexist without really understanding one another. It was rather sad.
The idea of people working in close proximity in isolated environments and yet being so siloed put me in mind of the International Space Station. Reading Scott Kelly's book ENDURANCE, I was truly shocked to discover how separate and "far apart" the US and Russian modules were, not physically (obviously) but socially. Aside from a once-a-week dinner, the only times astronauts from those modules interacted is if one needed help of some kind, such as with a repair. Entry from one into the other without an explicit invitation was strictly taboo, and they could go days without communicating at all. Who would have imagined that this situation could exist among half a dozen of the most acutely isolated humans in history?
I wouldn't have thought that was possible. I thought they all shared space — 1 working space, 1 living space, etc.
So did I. Nope. And the ISS is supposed to be the highest expression of US-Russian cooperation.
Differing interests and vocabulary makes for collaboration but its beneficial to step out from your personal sphere at least once in a while.
Excellent observation. It would seem to me to be a lack of respect for the support group. I recently watched a video of Mike Rowe during which he mentioned a shocking, if true, statistic. Form every person who retires from the blue-collar trades, two take their place. Connecting the dots, this is going to have dire consequences for the scientific research.
I literally had a friend share a Mike Rowe video yesterday where he says that for every 5 people who retire as a tradesman only 2 replace them. From how I read your comment, it's the opposite. either way, you end up with an imbalance that makes things tough.
Stupid typos on my part. You said it correctly. Sorry.
I saw a similar professional divide while working at the Very Large Array. I started at the as a technician and worked my way up to data analyst. The blue collar people feel isolated from the scientists, there was a big culture divide. There were some efforts by management to offer science talks and events were people could co-mingle, usually poorly attended by the workers for a few reasons. Over time i came to understand that many astrophysicists have poor social skills, almost to the point of seeming autistic. They just cannot relate to people who have to work for a living. So they all coexist without really understanding one another. It was rather sad.
How about organizing socializing to break up barriers?