Nature magazine on the lab work ethic
"As research funding declines in many countries, science will intensify. Anyone lacking the inner intellectual drive and a capacity for relentless focus to get to the heart of the way the world works should stay away.
- Nature magazine, in an editorial
This week's Nature includes pieces by two established scientists, one advocating the importance of down-time away the laboratory for keeping mentally fresh, and the other, claiming that the 24/7 sweatshop-labor mentality is the only way to succeed. Rather disappointingly for LabLit.com, the accompanying editorial seems to come down in favor of the 24/7 approach. We hope that despite this high-profile endorsement, some of the scientific community will continue to embrace people who occasionally need to leave the lab, whether be that to look after their children or otherwise have a life. Science is a creative endeavor, and diversity in the workplace is surely to be encouraged.
Note: the editorial is available for free, whereas the two contrasting opinions require a subscription to access.