I absolutely agree that blogging is an excellent tool1 that allows us to extend our voices beyond the lab or scientific journal, whether it is for the purpose of getting suggestions or for finding a collaborator. However, there are many other aspects that affect the daily lives of scientists. Venturing in to the realm of the “confessional” blogosphere shouldn’t necessarily be labeled as “fluffy” just because someone does not talk about the latest scientific breakthrough. As someone who writes about being a scientist-mom, I feel that blogging about my work/life balance may provide encouragement to others. Some might label this as fluffy, but, personally, I think that having a grasp on life beyond the bench is just as important as life behind the bench.
Jeanne Garbarino The Rockefeller University New York, NY 2 Jaak Panksepp’s observation that “[the] higher brain is not needed for play because we’ve taken it away ...
