Munchkin approach to earning money from scientific studies (if near a big university): Find out if the psychology department (and related social science departments) requires students to participate in experiments for course credit. If not, or if the student numbers are low relative to the number of researchers, there will be arrangements to pay participants. If you are near a suitably large department, as long as you show up reliably and follow the instructions without being “difficult”, participation in such experiments can be a decent source of income. And less risky than medical testing in most cases. Central London (UK) is one such place where this seems to work—there are a number of “professional subjects” who work the circuit.
What consequences does this have for the scientific studies? Well I said this is a munchkin approach to earning some cash.… it certainly doesn’t make the participant “sample” any less WEIRD
At specific times in the year, for universities where most students live on or near campus: lots of students seem to find it easier just to discard perfectly good things rather than move them around—especially the start of summertime when many students move back home, or start a job elsewhere. It can be worthwhile to collect useful-but-discarded things and sell them on to the next round of arriving students provided you have someplace to store them in the interim.
At all times in the year, again for universities where the student population is resident nearby = relatively diverse array of grocery, convenience stores and relatively high % of restaurants, typically clustered in a relatively dense area and all of which will generate some food waste. The key is not just the availability (and diversity of products that may be found this way) but also the tendency to hire student (or recently-student) employees who may be a bit more likely to turn a blind eye toward dumpster diving, or even facilitate it by spreading the word about “desirable” items about to be trashed.
This. I never went looking for perishable foods but all sorts of perfectly good small appliances or pieces of furniture were to be found in May of each year.
Apartment complexes can also be pretty good for this sort of thing. Where I live now people who move out sometimes leave their stuff by the dumpsters in the understanding that doing so means the stuff is fair game for other residents (especially recent move-ins) and the administration in the rental office will let you know if you ask about any furniture that recent move-outs have left behind inside their empty apartments. I got a couch, microwave, coffee table, and set of chairs that way for free when I moved here for grad school.
Also, when universities get new equipment some departments just throw stuff out rather than actually sending it to the surplus depot or whatever. Got fully functional computer monitors and an oscilloscope once in undergrad (and gave the latter to an engineering major friend who tinkers a lot in his basement).
Dumpster diving and scientific studies are both MUCH more profitable near university campuses. I speak from experience.
Munchkin approach to earning money from scientific studies (if near a big university): Find out if the psychology department (and related social science departments) requires students to participate in experiments for course credit. If not, or if the student numbers are low relative to the number of researchers, there will be arrangements to pay participants. If you are near a suitably large department, as long as you show up reliably and follow the instructions without being “difficult”, participation in such experiments can be a decent source of income. And less risky than medical testing in most cases. Central London (UK) is one such place where this seems to work—there are a number of “professional subjects” who work the circuit.
What consequences does this have for the scientific studies? Well I said this is a munchkin approach to earning some cash.… it certainly doesn’t make the participant “sample” any less WEIRD
Why would dumpster diving be better near schools?
At specific times in the year, for universities where most students live on or near campus: lots of students seem to find it easier just to discard perfectly good things rather than move them around—especially the start of summertime when many students move back home, or start a job elsewhere. It can be worthwhile to collect useful-but-discarded things and sell them on to the next round of arriving students provided you have someplace to store them in the interim.
At all times in the year, again for universities where the student population is resident nearby = relatively diverse array of grocery, convenience stores and relatively high % of restaurants, typically clustered in a relatively dense area and all of which will generate some food waste. The key is not just the availability (and diversity of products that may be found this way) but also the tendency to hire student (or recently-student) employees who may be a bit more likely to turn a blind eye toward dumpster diving, or even facilitate it by spreading the word about “desirable” items about to be trashed.
This. I never went looking for perishable foods but all sorts of perfectly good small appliances or pieces of furniture were to be found in May of each year.
Apartment complexes can also be pretty good for this sort of thing. Where I live now people who move out sometimes leave their stuff by the dumpsters in the understanding that doing so means the stuff is fair game for other residents (especially recent move-ins) and the administration in the rental office will let you know if you ask about any furniture that recent move-outs have left behind inside their empty apartments. I got a couch, microwave, coffee table, and set of chairs that way for free when I moved here for grad school.
Also, when universities get new equipment some departments just throw stuff out rather than actually sending it to the surplus depot or whatever. Got fully functional computer monitors and an oscilloscope once in undergrad (and gave the latter to an engineering major friend who tinkers a lot in his basement).