How to Build a Bad Research Center (2013) | Hacker News Reader

How to Build a Bad Research Center (2013)

eecs.berkeley.edu

> Good Commandment 5. Thou shalt disturb thy neighbors.

> Researchers have found that innovation is enhanced if all participants work in a single open space less than 50 meters across, as it encourages spontaneous discussions across disciplines.[viii] The goal is for the space to support concentration and communication. For example, for the last four centers of Table I, the faculty gave up their private offices to be embedded with students and postdocs in open space, where only the meeting rooms have walls.[ix] Faculty access draws students from their home offices to the lab, which increases chances of interactions. A downside of shared space is the cost of remodeling to create an attractive open space . This is a one-time capital expense, since following projects will use it, but even so, the cost was equal to just two students over the life of a center. Shared open space is certainly more beneficial to a center than a few more students

I have to wonder how they get any research done.

http://heeris.id.au/2013/this-is-why-you-shouldnt-interrupt-...

Do they normally have very quiet participants and students?

I work in one of these labs. I suppose if you really need to do work, a pair of headphones suffice. But the open space makes it really easy to have visitors (there are a lot of them), as well as the aforementioned interacting w/ neighbors. It's certainly more interesting than working alone in an office or at home.

The meeting offices are mentioned briefly, but those see quite a bit of use as well.

Careful with the headphones. If they are loud enough to obscure the noise of your coworkers, they are probably loud enough to damage your hearing if used every day.

Unless you get sound canceling headphones.

> I work in one of these labs. I suppose if you really need to do work, […]

I have to ask, what do you normally do there, if not work?

Your comments about having lots of visitors and it being more interesting than working alone make it sound like your lab would be a nightmare for getting work done that requires actual concentration.

Management really believes that the open space is more collaborative and has a better "buzz" that really does feel, to the manager, like more work is getting done.

Of course, employees hate open space. Constant distractions, and the pervasive feeling of being watched by everyone, all the time.

It's really interesting that management is so out of touch. (I say this as a manager who loved big open offices, until I read on HN - 1000 times over - how consistently employees hate open offices).

I think it's the same reason managers have a reputation for booking meetings far beyond what's reasonable. It works... for them. For the managers lots of meetings really does result in getting more work done. The thought seems to rarely cross their minds that meetings are crippling for almost any non-management role, doubly so if it involves any kind of creativity.

> I say this as a manager who loved big open offices, until I read on HN - 1000 times over - how consistently employees hate open offices

Why did you have to hear this from HN instead of your direct reports?

I liked open spaces whenever I was an employee in one. It's possible I'm a unique snowflake, but also that there may be a selection bias on HN.

These environments make it really easy to "borrow" your neighbours equipment when they are not around. When I was a student I used to start the week with a trip around the big lab reclaiming all our labs equipment.

> It’s hard to predict information technology trends much longer than five years. We start a center based on our best guess of what new opportunities will present themselves in 7 to 10 years

What do people here think are opportunities that are not available now, but will be in 7-10 years?

Well, sustainable fusion is 30 years out and the singularity is 50, so there's that.

Internet of Extremely Shitty Things[1] for sure.

Actual Cloud (Now with Grey Goo!®).

Available now, but not pursued to the fullest: in-body medical/monitoring devices; self driving cars.

1. https://twitter.com/internetofshit?lang=en

Contrary to what he writes, I don't see how well this translates to disciplines doing pure rather than applied work.

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