Too Many Abstracts Are a Problem — Too Few Are an Even Bigger One

 I headed into Tokyo for a regional academic meeting.
My cold has been lingering, and the sky looked as unenthusiastic as I felt.

 

There was a regional academic meeting in Tokyo.
My physical condition has been fluctuating because of a cold, and the gloomy sky, with rain expected at night, did little to help.

Still, a junior colleague of mine is serving as the meeting chair, and as a senior, I could hardly skip it.
I was also curious to see the younger doctors I had once sent to work under him.

Looking through the program, I noticed many familiar names.
It seemed likely that the chair had personally asked acquaintances to submit presentations.

Academic meetings are troublesome things.
Too many abstracts create their own problems, but having too few is an even bigger one.

If they are that much trouble, perhaps academic meetings should not exist at all.
But as places for learning and exchange among members, they cannot be easily abandoned.

Thinking about all this, I found myself acknowledging how demanding it must be,
while quietly looking forward to the post-meeting reception.