One of the most powerful research tools? Let's enjoy a cup!

What do you think about the most powerful research tools? And how a research tool can be enjoyed in a cup?

Yesterday, I joined a session on 'How to succeed in the global research community', held by Doctoral Training Centre of Cranfield University. In that session, the presenter, a professor of Soil Biology at Cranfield University, delivered many aspect about research. It was interesting and fun. Sometimes he put jokes between the session.

In the material he gave, there was a piece of information about research tool. He shared a list of the most powerful research tools, which a part of the list could be considered as an intellectual joke. However, he delivered the joke convincingly. His joke was not completely a lie because in particular circumstances it helps many researchers, as well as other professionals, to perform.

A thought flashed in my mind, if that piece of information was completely true, Indonesian people could manage to be the best researchers in the world because that tool has been a part of everyday life of most of them. It made me smiling.

So let see what the most powerful research tools he listed;

1. Thought.
   Absolutely, this is the most important tools for a researcher for doing his or her work. It is the brain that helps the researcher to manage the idea, the knowledge and resources on hand to deliver a hypothesis, a theory, a discovery, an innovation, etc.
2. Knowledge.
   This is undeniably important for a researcher. It is the ground of what he or she is doing in order to enrich the knowledge itself. The work of researcher is a never ending story about knowledge.
3. Discussion.
   This tool helps researcher to expand his or her point of view. Some ideas may appear from the activity like this. The activity also a good tool to measure whether the researcher is moving to right direction or not.
4. 

Any idea what is it in no. 4? A chemist may answer it correctly. The picture[2] represents the chemical structure of caffeine. Caffeine as a research tool? Surprised? So was I. He smiled then, and we understood it was a good joke. From that 'information', I decided to write this trivial writing. The information I wrote in the next paragraph was not presented by the professor but a result of my attempts to collect some data and weigh it with phenomenon I see on campus and Indonesia.

The reason of the presenter delivered the statement that caffeine is included as a powerful research tools simply related to its effects as stimulant. Caffeine is scientifically believed can increase wakefulness, make flow of thought run faster and clearer, increase focus, and produce better general body coordination [1]. However, too much of caffeine can be dangerous. One of the most severe effects of it is the change of genetic material. Yes, caffeine has mutagenic properties [4].

Despite so many pros and cons about its effects, caffeine enjoys its fame as the most consumed psychoactive drug in the world. And the best thing it can gain is the legal status, unlike most of psychoactive substances. Anything related to caffeine is unregulated in nearly all parts of the globe. In the North America, 90% adults consume caffeine daily [3].

If the statement of the professor in that session was justice about caffeine as a research tool, it would be understandable to see the phenomenon about drinking coffee at Cranfield University. It was funny to think that if a researcher wanted to boost the progress of his or her research, they could drink coffee as a solution. At Cranfield University, it seems indeed so many people become loyal coffee drinkers, leaving behind the custom of the English of drinking tea. Every morning, noon and even evening, it is not unusual to see people walking with a cup of coffee in their hand. The canteens also provide coffees and they seem more preferred than teas (though there is also caffeine in tea, in less portion though). In the reception of School of Management, students often come to enjoy a cup of coffee for free. However, there is no clear evidence about the relationship between caffeine effects of boosting research progress and a phenomenon of coffee drinkers at Cranfield University. I think, they just enjoy to drink coffee very much.

As for me, I was not a coffee lover actually. However, being here, I eventually enjoy it and now I consider to have the habit. I drink a cup of coffee everyday and feel something missing if I skip a day without it. The coffee I like most here is Costa's mocchachino, which is unfortunately the most expensive compared to other types in the same volume. The price of medium cup of Costa's mocchachino is around £ 2.7 for students (after discount). I usually drink it with some cocoa (powder) on it, without sugar. Simply delicious!

Back to the idea of caffeine being one of the most powerful research tools, if the statement was true, then Indonesian people could manage to be the best researchers in the world because Indonesia is one of the producers of coffee in the world and the people are loyal drinkers as well. The best one: both as the producer and the consumers. Indonesia is known for its fine aged coffees. The traditional warehousing process, supporting with the warm and damp climate result in coffee with quality which cannot been matched by technology [5].

At last, the thing I want to say to Indonesian people is:
So, let's enjoy a cup of coffee and start shaking the world (with our research)!




Bibliography:

1. Bolton, S. and Null Gary (1981), "Caffeine psychological effects, use and abuse", Itraspec.ca, available at: http://intraspec.ca/1981-v10n03-p202.pdf (accessed 8 January 2014)
2. ChemSpider, Caffeine, available at: http://www.chemspider.com/Chemical-Structure.2424.html (accessed 8 January 2014) 
3. Lovett, R. (2005), "Coffee: The demon drink?" New Scientist, September 24th 2005, Magazine issue: 2158 (accessed from http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18725181.700, 8 January 2014)
4. Mulvihill, J.J (1973), "Caffein as teratogen and mutagen", Teratology, Vol. 8., No.1, pp. 69-72.
5. NCA, Coffee from around the world, available at: http://www.ncausa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=75 (accessed 8 January 2014)
6. Wikipedia, Caffeine, available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine (accessed 8 January 2014)