Yesterday, at a reception of the Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) conference in Banff, Alberta, a senior researcher (that I’m not sure wants to be named) told me about how he has so much fun at these conferences watching what he calls the ‘junior-senior suck up‘: junior researchers -that is, lowly grad students like myself- gathering like flies around the fruit of prestige and network value of senior researchers at all times possible (during coffee breaks, socials, washroom visits…), and as annoyingly as can be imagined.
So today I decided to do a bit of lousy research and measure the phenomenon. At a coffee break I sweeped the room keeping count of the people chatting and their apparent seniority. Results: Senior-senior chats, 28%. Junior-junior talks, 19%. Senior-junior talks —53%. Busted. Now I pity the poor seniors having to stand our silly questions for a full week, at every moment.
So, senior researcher, I’m sorry we’re such a pain. Now about that fascinating paper you published last year…
Catenary 
Seniors researcher: Maybe a possible source of funding?
Hardly. But the impact they have on hiring processes at universities is enormous, so everybody wants to be on their good side.