Guest Post

Small things are notoriously difficult for men to notice. It’s not that we’re unconcerned; it’s that we’re not paying attention to what’s going on. Don’t hold it against us, but it’s a wonder we remember things like your face, let alone that the blue shirt you’re wearing isn’t the same blue shirt we’ve seen you wear before. Here are 10 things you shouldn’t be upset about because we didn’t notice:

1. When you’ve purchased a new purse. It’s similar to the previous thing where you put a bunch of things in, but it’s a different color. In our opinion, all handbags appear to be the same.

2. Legs, shaven or not. We probably won’t notice if you have a little stubble on your legs unless you’re approaching us like Sasquatch.

3. When you’re not wearing any makeup. Women seldom believe it, but we don’t always notice when you’re not wearing makeup. We don’t have any. Then we’re chastised for lying. One of life’s greatest mysteries is this.

4. A new pair of shoes. We never gaze below the knees of anyone. This is a proven fact.

5. Cellulite. Everyone is harsher on their own bodies. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen cellulite, but the several times I’ve been labeled a liar suggest otherwise.

6. When your clothes are covered in lint. This would necessitate our paying attention to “details.”

7. When you get a new hairstyle. We won’t notice your hair is half an inch shorter unless you shaved your head.

8. Dark circles around the eyes. Sorry for becoming lost in the huge and gorgeous wilderness of your eyes, which are deep pools of longing, and not noting that you are fatigued. 

9. A new lipstick hue. There’s a tint called “red lipstick.” That is the only lipstick color I am aware of. I have no idea what the other colors are, but they aren’t real.

10. A new pair of pants. We can’t tell the difference between our own and your jeans, to say nothing of yours.

Guest Post

A potentiostat is an electronic device that has multiple applications in the electrochemistry world, but not only. These devices were developed to regulate the voltage between a working electrode and a reference electrode, which are usually contained in an electrical cell. Usually used in electrochemistry, this small device has plenty of applications, most of those, practical ones. For instance, let’s assume that a chemist is trying to find out the lead concentrations in water of a certain source. A potentiostat will effectively determine the presence of various compounds in a wide range of liquids. These devices are also used to detect iron in the blood, but also have the potential to detect the way water impacts metals when there appears a contact between the two. Portable ones allow scientists and researchers to get data, without necessarily finding themselves in a laboratory.

Types of portable potentiostats

Electrochemical researchers use various types of potentiostats in their research activity and tests. While some are suitable to detect all types of compounds in all types of fluids, other have more restrictive applications.

• Potentiostats with wide ranges of detections – these devices are able to detect various compounds in certain liquids.
• Potentiostats with a single compound application – some other potentiostats have the ability to only detect a certain compound in liquids. These are generally known as OEM potentiostats.
• Some small devices allow detection of various compounds in various fluids, which makes those incredibly versatile.

While these portable devices are very versatile and bring an enormous aid to electrochemistry researchers, they demand the use of an appropriate software product. However, in the field, there are several other devices and measurement methods that make the work of an electrochemist significantly easier.

Key elements of high performing potentiostats

In potentiostat’s case, there are a series of other measurement devices, considered to be key elements for an accurate measurement.  

• Electrometers – Electrometers are electrical devices used with the scope of measuring potential electric differences or the electrical charge. The evolution of these devices is an impressive one, today being incredibly high performing. Today’s electrometers have a zero-input current and an infinite input impedance, which are the ideal values.
• I/E Converters – These devices are frequently used in corrosion experiments, experiments where the current variations are significant.
• Signal Circuits – Are computer-controlled voltage sources. These are usually the output of a D/A converter and they serves the scope to convert computer-generated numbers into voltages.
• Galvanostats – These elements are used to apply an electric current to a liquid and are used to observe the reactions of the liquid. These are used to increase or decrease the substance by applying an electron current. These elements can be used in some cases as battery chargers.

Potentiostats incorporate these elements for proper results and accurate experiments. While the principles of electrochemistry have been developed over the centuries, even today’s application still follow those, largely. However, the immense help in the field has been brought by the incredible potential that technological advancements have brought. There are various types of potentiostats, each researcher being able to select the one that suits their needs best, from portable one, to compact laboratory devices.

Everybody has goals, but reaching them can seem tricky or elusive. The truth is that reaching your goals can be simple, and you don’t have to be an Olympic gold medalist or a fortune 500 CEO to reach a goal successfully. Here are 21 surprising truths about goals and reaching them that will hopefully inspire you and motivate you:

1. It’s Not a Straight Path

People who are successful have often testified that reaching their goals was not a straight path but a wild, zig-zagging road. As much as we try to plan ahead, obstacles will always arrive that are unexpected and that we are unprepared for.

2. It Doesn’t Have To Be Hard

We tend to see goal reaching as a really hard process, but the reality is that goals can be easily accomplished. It just depends on how you organize your efforts.

3. You Won’t Achieve Them Without Any Motivation

If you don’t have any intrinsic motivation for reaching your goal, you will have a lower chance of success. Instead, why not set a goal that has a deeper meaning for you and go for it.

4. You Can Reset And Restart

When attempting to achieve your goals, you may come to a point where you need to hit the reset button and start all over again. This is perfectly normal, and it is not the same as quitting. It just means that you need to start again with a new strategy. It’s better to start over with a more effective strategy than to keep going with a poorly planned one.

5. You Can’t Reach Them All At Once

Anything is possible, but it’s not probable that you can reach many goals all at once. The more goals you have and the more you spread yourself out over your projects, the less you will accomplish and the more likely you will be to give up. Focus on one or two goals at a time and you will be able to reach them faster.

6. It Has To Be Worth It

Make sure that the end result is something that you really want or need. If the journey to reaching your goal is going to cost you your wellbeing, good health, career, family, or happiness, you may want to reconsider your reasons for setting the goal in the first place. Make sure it’s worth any risks and costs that it will take to achieve.

Goals don’t lay real eggs that you can eat with a side of toast. It is a metaphor for the fact that goals always have other goals nestled within them. If you pick them apart you will find smaller goals within the big goals and even smaller goals within those goals. The more you can break down a goal, the easier it will be to reach your goal.

8. Goals Should Be Specific

If you want to reach your goals you have to be as specific as possible when making and planning your goals. The vaguer you are, the more challenging you will find it to get to where you want to be. 

9. Goals Shouldn’t Be Overly Complicated

Goals should be specific. Additionally, they shouldn’t be overly complicated. They need to be simple, understandable, and clear. This will help you along the way, and it will help others who want to help you too.

10. Goals Should Be Measurable

Setting measurable goals will help you know what you need to do to get to your destination as well as notify you when you have arrived.

Goals aren’t always completed as quickly as we want them to be. The main thing when pursuing a goal is to be patient and persistent. Keep going even when you feel discouraged.

12. Goals Change

Our goals don’t always necessarily stay the same. Sometimes we have to reevaluate what we want and what we need, and this can cause us to increase or decrease the measures we assigned to our goals. We have to allow ourselves to be flexible. And since our needs and desire are always changing, our goals should be able to adjust to them.

I don’t mean it takes months or years to reach your goals when I say it takes time. I mean it takes your time, right now. People often set up long term goals to be completed in the future, but they neglect to put in any of their time or effort on a daily basis, and that is why many goals go unrealized.

Okay, maybe it doesn’t take a whole village, but the point is that we rarely achieve our goals without any help or support from others. Networking, coaching, counseling, and support groups are all healthy and crucial resources for goal reaching.

15. Celebrating the Smaller Achievements is a Must

You should celebrate your efforts and your small achievements while working toward your big goal. Every step counts and every action gets you closer to your desired outcome, and celebrating the small victories will keep you motivated.

16. It Changes You

Going on a journey to achieve your goals will cause you to learn, to push yourself, to test yourself, to meet new people, to find new ways of living and doing, and it will increase your self-esteem.

17. Giving Up Is Harder Than Continuing

When things get difficult, it may be tempting to give up altogether on your dream. However, giving up is actually harder in the long run since it tends to lead to long lived regrets and even depression and decreased self-worth.

18. Achieving Goals Isn’t The Secret To Happiness

People are always placing conditions on their happiness, thinking that they cannot be happy until they have or do something that they really want. This is a flawed way of thinking. Goals are important and beneficial, but achieving them isn’t what makes people happy in the long run.

19. You Can Do Whatever You Put Your Mind To

You really can do or be anything that you want; you just have to be willing to do the work and make the necessary changes. If no one else has done it before, be bold and be a pioneer!

20. Your Attitude Will Make Or Break Your Success

Attitude really is everything. If you maintain a positive attitude on your journey to achieving your goals you will have greater chances of succeeding. Likewise, you are more likely to give up if you hold a negative attitude.

21. Habit Will Be Your Best Friend

Good habits will be a great aid to you on your road to reaching your goals. Habits make positive actions effortless and unconscious. The more you can automate your goal-reaching actions, the easier it will be to get there.

Hopefully, this list of unconventional truths about goal setting and reaching will encourage you to set your own goals and chase your dreams. Goal reaching isn’t reserved for the hard and determined few, it is something that everyone can do. Having a deeper look at what reaching your goals is really like can give you the perspective and courage to start your own journey and try new things.