Will the world wake up in 2022? What should we do when it does?

Hoping that you have great hopes for 2022 and the good fortune to realize your wishes.?

After years of lockdowns, restrictions, and procedures: it was a pleasure to attend both the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) and American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) annual meetings as well as the Interphex tradeshow in person last fall.?What joy, even relief, to see colleagues and friends in person after two long years.?Our local section, the New Jersey AIChE had an extra-merry holiday party with limited, vaccinated, in-person attendance.

It answers the question are in-person meetings still worth the time and expense??With the pandemic still spawning new waves of variants, is it worth the risk? ?What do our rapid advances in information technology and virtual presence, as a result of the pandemic, teach us about how to emerge should we push infectious disease to the edges or our daily routines again??

Some observations after two years of virtual and hybrid format meetings (clinical study participants = 1):

·???????Information is more readily consumed virtually

·???????Virtually, you only get what you click on

·???????Discussion, questions, and in-depth understanding, are best in person

·???????Random interactions help everyone, and are only available in person

True, in person events are a time and resource commitment which disrupt your normal routine.?That very disruption means that your brain has new stimulus, is given a rest from the routine and gets the motivation to examine its surroundings including the routine and what should change about it.?Apparently, I am not the only one to notice as there is some scholarly work to support this hypothesis (1).?

There is a benefit to our seemingly random yet mathematically chaotic, fractal interactions at in-person meetings that is hard to quantify; yet palpably there.?Our bonding and teamwork also seem to be better from and in-person connection.?Some understanding of this survives public controversy about the expenses related to it (2).?Recent studies show that there is a value which can only be derived in person, yet there are some benefits to virtual interactions (3).?

So, with prudence regarding risks for the communities served, I will recommend attendance and participate in as much in-person interaction as can be afforded by whatever 2022 brings us.?Having benefitted from virtual content I will also recommend and continue a commitment to stretching resources and mind with all the virtual content consumable.?

Perhaps by taking multiple factors into consideration, rather than the polarized binary trend evident in much of what we consume, we will all emerge from the pandemic and 2022 in a better place.?

Wishing everyone a wonderful 2022.??

References:

1.??????Kelleher S R, This is your Brain on Travel, Forbes, 2019; July 28https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2019/07/28/this-is-your-brain-on-travel/?sh=743ff0cd2be6?Accessed January 2, 202w

2.??????Rein L, The defense secretary wants his scientists to travel. They’ve been grounded by bureaucracy., The Washington Post, 2016; May 6https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/05/06/the-defense-secretary-wants-his-scientists-to-travel-theyve-been-grounded-by-bureaucracy/?Accessed January 2, 2022

3.??????Kniffin KM, Narayanan J, Anseel F, Antonakis J, Ashford SP, Bakker AB, Bamberger P, Bapuji H, Bhave DP, Choi VK, Creary SJ, Demerouti E, Flynn FJ, Gelfand MJ, Greer LL, Johns G, Kesebir S, Klein PG, Lee SY, Ozcelik H, Petriglieri JL, Rothbard NP, Rudolph CW, Shaw JD, Sirola N, Wanberg CR, Whillans A, Wilmot MP, Vugt MV. COVID-19 and the workplace: Implications, issues, and insights for future research and action. Am Psychol. 2021 Jan;76(1):63-77

Disclaimer:

There has been no compensation for this post and the opinions expressed may or may not reflect the opinions/interests of my clients or any of the people or organizations mentioned herein.