Why is the motivation index so low? I have been puzzling over this problem. Is it because I am not getting any science done? I do not think so. Troughs in productivity are a common problem for us scientists and we have developed mechanisms to pull ourselves out of it. That is one of the essential survival skills in this career. My analysis points to two factors. As a post-doc… (1) Even on quieter days, when you might not want to go to the lab, going to the lab was not such a difficult enterprise. You jump on the train and/or bus, you get free meditation time, when you can stare out of the window and let your mind wander or bring your latest favourite book and lose yourself in that world for that little while that it takes to get to the lab. (2) When you do get to the lab, you are surrounded by your friends. You could convince one or more to entertain you, in the lab or in the cafeteria. Granted, in the post-doc it was not always that easy to find like-minded compan...