Why is my mobile processing lab sci/day rate so low?

[What Zitt Tooya]

I just built this brand new station and am currently processing, in the lab, all the data from space around the sun. The lab always has power and has a level 3 scientist in it.

I've had other labs with lower-level scientists and their rate of sci/day was actually higher. What can be causing this?

Here is a screenshot of the station, I clicked on the lab to show you detailed information.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=694096755

[AlexMBrennan]

Science production is proportional to data stored, and the lab in the screenshot is nearly empty (120/750 or 16%)

[What Zitt Tooya]

ah okay, i thought it depends on how old the lab is or the scientist. Or at least thats what i heard. Thanks!

[Manwith Noname]

http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Mobile_Processing_Lab_MPL-LG-2#Generating_Science_over_time

[Kenonan]

It's slow no matter what, really.

[GeneralVeers]

Pssh. I've got an easy solution, just push the > key a few times.

...... what?? Don't stare at me like that, you KNEW somebody was gonna say it. :)

[CaptainNimo]

It also helps to have leveled up scientists working in it, they give HUGE bonuses to science. Even a level 1 gives 5x!
http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Scientist

[Avatar2312]

1.) It is more efficient to research in orbit.
2.) Only data from the planet or moon the science lab is orbiting should be used
3.) every scientist counts, but you only need one lab (so you can have room for 20 scientists and just one lab, but all 20 contribute)
4.) the scientists level multiply the research rate by several times per star.
5.) the further away the moon or planet is from Kerbin the higher the data value and exchange rate into actual research.

[AlexMBrennan]

2.) Only data from the planet or moon the science lab is orbiting should be used

I don't think it would be possible to be any more wrong.

Each science lab you build can collect science from each biome once, which means you can launch dozens of labs in parallel, analyzing the exact same experiments in the exact same biomes without any diminishing returns.

As a corollary, you are throwing away potential science gains by not collecting data from biomes the lab passes through on its way to the nominal destination. Experiments done at the launch site do yield less data than experiments done at, say, Jool, but it's still free data.

5.) the further away the moon or planet is from Kerbin the higher the data value and exchange rate into actual research.

That is confusingly worded - you get a fixed 5 science per 1 data, but you get more data when you run experiments at distant planets.

[Azunai]

Originally posted by Avatar2312:

...
3.) every scientist counts, but you only need one lab (so you can have room for 20 scientists and just one lab, but all 20 contribute)
...

did they change that in the 1.1 update? last time i checked (in version 1.05) only the 2 scientists in the lab counted. additional scientists in the same station/outpost didn't contribute at all.

[Operation40]

Originally posted by mkunz2:

did they change that in the 1.1 update? last time i checked (in version 1.05) only the 2 scientists in the lab counted. additional scientists in the same station/outpost didn't contribute at all.

I think it only counts the scientists in the lab.
if what he said was true, I should be able to put my 2 scientists anywhere on the base and get the same science rate

edit -- also, that doesn't mean you want multiple science labs on the same base/station either -- asfaik, there's still an issue when you "send data to lab" it only sends to the first lab (whatever it picks as the first lab) and fills that up and not the others.

[Avatar2312]

Originally posted by AlexMBrennan:

I don't think it would be possible to be any more wrong.

Each science lab you build can collect science from each biome once, which means you can launch dozens of labs in parallel, analyzing the exact same experiments in the exact same biomes without any diminishing returns.

As a corollary, you are throwing away potential science gains by not collecting data from biomes the lab passes through on its way to the nominal destination. Experiments done at the launch site do yield less data than experiments done at, say, Jool, but it's still free data.

Nah. I mean the data value is greater if the experiment is from the same body the lab is currently landed on or orbiting.