I have a BS in physics from the University of Virginia. I applied for the chemistry graduate program at Vanderbilt. I make my own schedule, although for safety reasons the graduate students in the group try to coordinate schedules so there are always at least two people in lab. Typically, I check e-mail and any experiments that have been going on overnight. Lunch-time is around 12 and I have soup or fruit, plus chips or crackers.
Fuel cells are essentially nonpolluting and are more efficient than internal combustion engines.
Tense times are when the research group needs to get good preliminary data for a proposal deadline, or right before a presentation at a conference. A good day is a productive one. There are some days when nothing goes right, or when instruments break, and those aren't very good. A good day is also when I learn something new. At Vanderbilt, there are many professors doing great research related to materials chemistry and when I can collaborate with them and learn a new technique or instrument, I'm happy.