I wanted to write a story of betrayal. A man and a woman become involved, and then one betrays the other. But I didn’t want to write about adultery. Infidelity has been done. I began to think about other kinds of betrayal, other sorts of lying. How would intellectual dishonesty affect a relationship? What if the man and woman were scientists? I began to explore the world of laboratory science with its intense hierarchies, its code of honor, trust and shame. And I began to consider what happens when one scientist accuses another of cheating. How does cheating happen? How can a cheater justify his actions? What becomes of an accuser? Do small omissions add up to fraud? Many people have written articles and non-fiction books about accusations of scientific fraud. As a novelist, I felt that I could contribute something new. I could write about a complex situation from the inside and explore the motivations of each player. I spent time in laboratories and in animal research facilities so that I could write with authority about the sights and sounds and smells there. I spent even more time thinking about my imaginary characters. I chose scientists as the actors in my drama, and the laboratory as my theater, but the subject of Intuition is the human heart and mind.