I *quite* like 'normal' european snails but those whopping great things give me the creeps big time (especially since reading that you are not supposed to pick them up by the shell, I'd have to use a spatula (with a very long handle) to pick them up by the foot, eughhhhhhhh!!).

Hi 404

You could list him as an author and use the following format to show your affiliations (if they differ):

404 (1), Helpful programmer (2)

1 Where 404 works, 2 Where the programming person works

Or you could put an acknowledgement in the abstract, which normally goes after the discussion/conclusions but before the references, something like:

Acknowledgement
The author(s) are grateful for blah provided by blah etc.

Check your conference abstract guidelines, they may not allow an acknowledgements section in which case you could go with the author option (which if you couldn't have done the work without this guy, might be justified, perhaps discuss with your supervisors?).

I'd recommend a Russian Dwarf, they're lovely
(I had a Syrian one and it was extremely bitey although admittedly can't conclude too much from this as only n=1).

Couldn't you have got a nice furry office-sized creature (hamster, gerbil?)? Those giant snails are scary - what if it escaped? Think of the mess it would make, eugghhhhh!!!

P.S. Whatever you do, don't be tempted to eat it in the case of a sausage sandwich famine, they can apparently carry a parasite which causes meningitis
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/rarespecies/a/pestsGALs.htm

It's a great film, I especially like Hugh Grant's dance

You're welcome

I'd rather find out the density from the manufacturer than try to determine it using an analytical balance - I guess it depends on how accurate you need to be but once you take into account the error in the pipette measurement of 1mL (which could be considerable if your conc. acid is viscous) and the error in the balance read-out, your measured density could be out by a quite a lot. Ring (or e-mail) the technical helpline, that's what they are there for and they're usually very helpful. Alternatively, you could look up a literature density value (Merck Index?) but given the choice, I'd still phone the helpline as they will have the details for your specific product. Good luck

Party time!! Well done

Telephone the manufacturer and ask for the technical helpline. They may be able to tell you the molarity but if not, they should be able to tell you the density i.e. mass per volume (usually expressed as g/mL). From this, you can work out the molarity in the usual way (no. of moles = mass/molar mass) adjusting it accordingly if not 100% pure, see here:

http://www.physicsforums.com/archive/index.php/t-84435.html

I think they'd be very helpful for when a person is feeling a bit stuck. I'm not entirely sure that I agree with the order - I'd want to say why I'd done something (introduction/background) before I said what I did (methods) but as you say, the questions are useful to follow to make sure you've covered everything in a draft, and then re-format as per conference guidelines. Hope you can get the abstract sorted soon then you can relax and enjoy your bank holiday weekend!

Hi 404

I'd never heard of Brown and his/her 8 questions! I did a bit of Googling and (in case others are similarly in the dark) here they are:

Brown’s 8 Questions

Who are the intended readers? List 3-5 names
What did you do? (50 words)
Why did you do it? (50 words)
What happened? (50 words)
What do the results mean in theory? (50 words)
What do the results mean in practice? (50 words)
What is the key benefit for readers? (50 words)
What remains unresolved? (no word limit)

I've always just use the guidelines or template provided by the conference organisers to draft an abstract but I can see how the questions might be useful. Good luck with your conference submission!

Sorry to hear that you are having problems. Bullying does unfortunately occur in academia, as anywhere e.g. http://www.bullyonline.org/cases/case15.htm

You do have rights and certainly shouldn't accept bullying behaviour, for your sake and that of future staff/students.

Some advice here about workplace bullying: http://www.bullyonline.org/workbully/index.htm

You find it worth checking out your student handbook for information about grievance procedures.

Hope you can sort this, take care.

It is likely that they will send you a letter. If you are concerned, I would recommend that you telephone and ask a) when you might hear if you have been asked for interview and b) how this information will be passed to you.

Good luck!

Seriously? When I saw the trailer, I couldn't believe that Samuel L Jackson had done another 'Deep Blue Sea' style film!

Indeed you can!