Making Something out of Nothing?

A lab technician and blogger writes about "reading into" a principal investigator's choice of which lab member attends invitation-only meetings. "Not being a PI, I can only assume what the rationale might be behind the decision to involve a certain trainee over another in a certain process," the author writes. "I would guess that you have the person with the best writing skills help you write your grants; the person with the most critical eye for data help you review papers; the person closest to going on the TT [tenure track] market with you to small, network-y meetings." The blogger contemplates whether lab trainees should interpret the PI's decision as a reflection of their aptitude. "Or am I over-interpreting that?" the blogger asks.