On the Twitter homepage (http://www.twitter.com) is the following explanation: "Twitter is a service for friends, family, and coworkers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?"
The question is whether "What are you doing?" is a question worth asking lab managers and their colleagues? Is it just me or does the question imply: Stop what you're doing and turn your attention toward me the twitterer. But, heh, I'm still uninitiated. If you're not, tell me what value Twitter serves you work wise. The social stuff, like "I'm heading over to Starbucks for a latte, want to join me," I get.