Convergence
Politics
For all their intelligence, social standing and assumed professionalism, deep down [they] had to concede that the 3 of them had acted like second-rate con-artists to cheat their colleague out of her day in the sun.
“So two people may work for the same person, share the same environment and the same resources but if one is given all the liberties in the world to succeed and the other is constantly worried about not failing they might as well as live in a different universe.” The Reporter replied.
“You’d be right.” he concurred, “Failure at success is frequently forgiven and usually forgotten; success at failure is rarely forgiven and is never forgotten.”
A productive group of scientists is like a fragile ecosystem, leave them alone and they can thrive but add in toxic personalities like [him] and the whole group can quickly disintegrate into something from Lord of the Flies.”
“I can give you a paper right now, at least I have the data, but we’d have to shoot low, go to a low impact journal, I mean.” She replied, in a voice loaded with disappointment and defeat.
“Then get right to it, I guess.” was his response.
[The list of authors didn't make sense].....she had been accustomed to a strict hierarchy, the post-doc who did all the work and writing was first author, the collaborators were co-authors and the last author indicated in whose lab the main work was done. “How are you supposed to write grants under your own name if you can’t demonstrate your independence from your boss?"
Politics
Conflict
Struggles
Passages from the novel Convergence
