Germination Period

Back at it on conference Thursday. I started early again, making it for the first talk in II, charge transport in organic semiconductors. I was hoping to because it was being given by a collaborator in my research group, including some of my own work, so I wanted to see if any killer questions came up. Perhaps it was the fact that the sun was still yawning itself, but the talk was a bit sparse compared to some of the later morning or afternoon talks. The speaker did very well, but other than one person, the rest of us looked a little zombified. But I'm glad I made it, even if just for moral support.

I spent the day migrating between GG and HH listening to speakers discuss competing theories on limitations to achieving high efficiencies in organic photovoltaics. The constant discussion and similar topics just reinforced the fact that the question is still open and debatable. Perhaps in future MRS symposia we will all look back and wonder why there was ever any debate on the predominant recombination methods in bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaics, but for now, it's clear only that more work needs to be done, especially with the recently discovered systems with the record efficiencies. Some might be discouraged by this, I like to think of it as job security.

With the constant stream of information, it's quite hard to take it all in and process it on real-time. I feel I need some time to allow the information I've heard to sink in and take root. The seeds have been planted, it's time for the idea germination period to begin. Today's seeds become tomorrow's saplings and on and on to becoming next year's talks and posters. I hope I'm on the seed distribution side next time.

- Jason