First real post

As a chemist (PhD candidate) I get the "Whoa you must be really smart" a lot, and damnit it really bothers me. Not because they think I'm smarter than they are (but to realize this they must be pretty smart, right? after all it takes one to know one) but because I don't take praise very well. The interesting thing about praise, is that the more subtle you can give it to me the better I take it. After all to me it is just like cough syrup and last time I checked I wasn't coughing.

I don't understand why people don't think more, most people in this world just go through following the path of least resistance and being ignorant to their surroundings and it really frustrates me. They don't think about complicated things and that really separates me from them. Anyone could be a sample monkey and mix chemicals together all day. That is not hard, coming up with those experiments, that is the difficult thing.

If I could I would do thought experiments all day. When I'm running reactions or working something up and not really thinking about it, I am doing that anyway. My thought experiments usually consist of some physical phenomenon that occurs, or philosophical discussion I have with myself or with others. Here are some things I've thought about:

1. Quantum Philosophy- The relation of quantum mechanics to the seemingly randomness of everyday happenings. (more on this topic at a later date)
2. Mathematical modelings and statistical comparisons. An example would be how many people would I have to beg everyday to make 10k/year begging on the side and would it interfere with my goals.
3. Economical function and how do they relate to topic 1 or 2.
4. Are there other things I would be good at that I don't know, perhap some other talent that is totally unknown to me. (Could I make crosswords?)
5. Why don't people use logical choices anymore? Where was the logic in coming to that conclusion on your organic lab report you moron! Is there a way to teach someone logic?
6. What is happening on the molecular level to form crystals, why to they form the way they do. What solvent conditions are needed to form them in that fashion?
7. Why is my sleep schedule so messed up?

Those are just some of the things think about.