Why it's useful to have a writer-in-residence

So, having a writer-in-residence in your lab is clearly good for boasting about to other labs, something a little odd, a little quirky. And maybe your writer is useful because she asks silly questions that get you pondering something in a new way. But this writer-in-residence was useful this week on a practical level! I'd helped out in the lab last week when large amounts of counting of neutrophils (immune cells) was required. I was taking down the numbers as the researcher (who'd rather remain nameless so we will say his/her name is X) did the counting under the microscope. Then X inputted all the data into the software which produced very attractive graphs. So far so good.

That was last week. I said, Can I take the post-it notes on which I wrote down the numbers home as souvenirs? Sure, said X. Then today I arrive for my weekly visit and X is not quite so happy. Do you have those post-it notes? X says, rather frantically. Of course, I say. Writer-in-residence saves the day! says X, who somehow has managed to delete the files from last week, they've been swallowed up somewhere inside X's Mac...

Writer-in-residence saves the day! Get yourself one now, while stocks last.