Satellites Ruined My Data. I Stayed Anyway

Lab notebook, entry never written: The Gemini North Telescope is supposed to be above it all—clouds, city lights, the mess of the world. But tonight, three satellites cut across my long exposure, drawing a triangle right through the data I needed. They call it light pollution, but it feels more like a reminder that nothing is untouched, not even up here at 13,825 feet. I re-ran the protocol. Again. Pretended it was just another variable. But the truth is, I wanted to scream. All that planning, the grant just barely approved, the pressure to deliver something that looks like discovery. And now, streaks—proof that even in the cleanest air, you can’t control what ruins your work. I stayed late, watching the sky, trying to remember why I care. The silence felt heavier than the data ever did. #Science #ScienceFatigue #LabBurnout