• Question: what is it like to be a scientist

    Asked by to Andrei, Helen, Ekbal, Gemma, Ruth on 17 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by , , , , , , .
    • Photo: Ruth Nottingham

      Ruth Nottingham answered on 17 Jun 2014:

      Hi

      Its normally great being a scientist! You get to do lots of experiments on things that you are really interested in. Also you get to discover things that no one else knows which is pretty cool.
      Its also a good job if you don’t want to be sat down at a desk- I am always up and walking around the lab. Also you can get to travel to present your work to other scientists at things called conferences.
      The only annoying thing about being a scientist is that sometimes experiments can take a long time to work, so you need to be able to be patient!

    • Photo: Gemma Marsden

      Gemma Marsden answered on 17 Jun 2014:

      Hi arronbearder,
      Being a scientist is amazing and exciting. You get to choose and really investigate something that you are really interested in and you get to figure out what it does or how important it is.
      Trying to design experiments that help to answer questions is very rewarding (but it can also be incredilbly frustrating!)
      It’s also great to know that your research adds to human knowledge and may help prevent disease.
      It isn’t a job really because I love what I do – which is probably why I sometimes work really long hours and all weekend!
      I also really enjoy passing on my knowledge to younger scientists both in the lab and in the lecture room.
      As Ruth said, being able to travel to present your work is a great benefit, I’ve been to conferences in Australia and the US, as well as in the UK. I also have a large network of colleagues who work on similar questions whoI can bounce ideas off and who help me with my work.

    • Photo: Ekbal Hussain

      Ekbal Hussain answered on 18 Jun 2014:

      Heya,
      Being a scientist is great fun! You get to work on something new that has never been done before and (hopefully) discover exciting new things!

      For my work, I also get to travel to lots of interesting places. I’ve been to look at how the ground has moved in past earthquakes in Canada, Greece and Spain. I also get to travel a lot to share what I’ve learnt with other scientists. For example, I’m going to Japan next month to tell people what I’ve found in my work.

      It’s all very exciting, but it is hard work. Not all your experiments will work the first time so you have to keep trying till they do 🙂

    • Photo: Helen Gath

      Helen Gath answered on 20 Jun 2014:

      I love it! I have always liked learning about wildlife, but what’s great about science is that it’s such a broad topic and there is so much to learn about. There is a always a challenge to take on, and I get much self-satisfaction from such achievements.

      Science is based on a world wide community of people sharing their ideas, skills and research for the greater good. This means I get to meet all sorts of interesting people, go to cool places, be taught by others as well as teach others. I can share my passion and enthusiasm with similarly minded people, and make what I love as a hobby, my job!

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