Science moves quickly

A couple of years ago, I began to collect data as a bit of a side project to core business. I had read about a new technique in my field and thought it would be cool to acquire data using it. One of my students is using some of those data in a paper he's written up and then developed a way of analysing it for all our participants.

This week I've been at a conference where it seems that every man and his monkey has now collected a little bit of data and we haven't published ours. I am so busy managing admin etc that I don't get time to sit and write as often as I'd like. Not much of an excuse though, given that science moves along just fine without you.

So although I was kind of happy that I was right to collect these data, it's just a stark reminder of how important it is to be selfish and protect your own time so you can be productive.

At this conference, I learnt that the promise made to me by my boss about potential promotions for me and Academic Spouse (the lures, as it were), were completely untrue. In addition, one of my colleagues also learnt that our boss has been approaching international folk since before Christmas last year to join our team in his new place. Not that any of us are going with him (which itself says a lot), but this is not what he told any of us. We don't much care about who he approaches, or the fact that he is approaching them. Problem for me is that he employed a new post-doc at the beginning of this year (a really strong post-doc, just back from maternity leave with her second child. BAD manners in my book at any time but worse in that situation). So some people manage being selfish and can move ahead as quickly in science as they like. I just don't have narcissistic PD (aside from writing this blog, of course....!).

The next fortnight will be decision time for me. If I didn't have a huge mortgage and family to support I think I'd leave my current lab before getting a new position. I'm appalled at my boss' actions. For someone who constantly reminds us about the importance of integrity in science, it really does make me wonder whether it's possible to survive unless you adopt that style of behaviour. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm