My PI wont follow the evidence - (Jul/29/2009 )

Yes, you are right, Casandra. Realistically it would be difficult if the PI will not budge.

casandra on Jul 31 2009, 05:47 AM said:

Actually, I have kind of been pushed into (exploring) Industry (small start-up).

perneseblue on Jul 31 2009, 12:31 PM said:

you're in the industry right now....hmmm...I'm soo tempted to tease you pernese but I better not, you traitor!!! What happened to the climb up Mt Olympus? ...I hope that your bleep of a PI didn't spoil the academic career for you.

So what's it you're exploring now- drug discovery, supermolecules...oh I forgot your interest i.e. synthetic biology...a thinking/talking bacterium? I wonder how much freedom you can have in this type of environment. Hope you also have cake-eating management personnel over there.

You said a small start-up, eh? Loads of risk yet laden with potentials. Besides, you can always come back if it's something not to your liking. Goodluck, pernese and we're glad you're still here with us in the forum.

To the original discussion - please be aware you're making a serious charge. Be aware that your PI may not share your perspective that these are "strong" results and may be aware of other relevant data unknown to you.

If you fell the concept is off base, get agreement with your PI re. pivotal experiment that would prove/disprove the theory and execute.

PIs are PIs because they can look beyond what we can see. It takes a lot to be a PI and they are PI because they have an understanding what to believe and what not to believe and how to make others believe what they believe.

Nabi on Jul 31 2009, 11:52 PM said:

and I don't believe that you actually believe this....

casandra on Aug 2 2009, 04:29 AM said:

there is no other belief to believe than to believe that this belief is true and believe it till I am in a position to believe in what I actually believe and make other believe in it too.

Nabi on Aug 2 2009, 05:35 AM said:

oh yeah, I definitely believe that you believe in this unbelievable belief but still a belief that can be believed nonetheless...BB. We shld transfer this to the philosophy and beliefs forum.......

Might be an unbelievable belief but to believe the belief that we can believe in our PIs belief is the only belief we should believe in. If we do not believe in our PIs belief then to work to make other believe that this belief is believable is not right. For the moment, to believe or not to believe is not the question.

@ Casandra : I believe what you said.

Nabi on Aug 2 2009, 09:54 PM said:

Touché.....and also, we shld follow Bertrand Russell's advice: "I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."

Seriously, going back to the original post, do we (as students, tech staff etc) have the right or enough guts and gumption to question or even challenge the "beliefs" of our PI? What shld we do if we feel that our belief in his beliefs are no longer justified as in ejim's case?

It's science - not belief. As I said, identify and get agreement to the pivotal experiment