This week's question comes at a quite ironic time for me. It goes...
How is it that all the PIs (Tara, PZ, Orac et al.), various grad students, post-docs, etc. find time to fulfill their primary objectives (day jobs) and blog so prolifically?
I'll take it that I fall under the "various grad students" category. I guess one answer is that throughout my day there are quite a few "hurry up and wait" moments, like an incubation in a protocol, or waiting for an animal to wake up from anesthesia (or fall asleep). I also try to take a little time at lunch to just relax and read/write. During those moments, its rejuvenating for me to write into this blog and also gives me a little "30 minute vacation" from whatever labwork is stressing me out. I go back to said labwork a little more focused and with a (rather silly) feeling of accomplishment.
But, another reason, and perhaps a more real reason, is that I'm going through something very difficult in my personal life, and blogging on science is a way to lose myself for a little while as well as feel connected to something grander. I'm really not much of a lab-lackey, I really have a lot of wonderful friends and great people in my life I love to hang out with. One of those people, I no longer have anymore. Blogging helps me forget about that, while life goes on.
Anyway, blogging doesn't take up a lot of time. 30 minutes a day is more than enough to write a couple of good posts.
Yeah, it doesn't take too much time. But I'd say it takes a *bit* longer than that for me. (That post didn't though)