• Question: Is it fun being a scientist?

    Asked by Cats2000 on 10 Sep 2024. This question was also asked by wage520paps, cast520paps, ands520drub.
    • Photo: Claire Sycamore-Howe

      Claire Sycamore-Howe answered on 10 Sep 2024:

      I really enjoy what I do! But I don’t know if it would be classed as “fun”. I get the opportunity to travel around the UK, Ireland and the world with work and that is exciting and interesting.
      I meet lots of great people at universities, speak to students and find out what different organisations are teaching.
      It is fun at times, but it’s also interesting, engaging, though-provoking which all add up to making it enjoyable.
      I like that I can use my chemistry knowledge without being in the lab, as I look at chemistry degrees and work with specialist colleagues who have amazing knowledge of chemistry. I learn a lot from them!

    • Photo: Sheridan Williams

      Sheridan Williams answered on 10 Sep 2024:

      Yes very interesting. Wouldn’t describe it as fun as it’s very serious of course.
      Doing anything you like is fun, so if you like your job, which I do, then it is fun.

    • Photo: Michael Schubert

      Michael Schubert answered on 4 Oct 2024:

      I think it’s definitely fun! I get to learn new things all the time, talk to all sorts of interesting people, and sometimes I’m one of the first people in the entire world to know something that nobody else has been told about yet. (And then I get to help figure out how to explain it to everyone else so that they understand why it’s important.)

      I’ve also had the chance to travel all over the world and do some really cool things as a scientist, like diving with sea turtles, digging up dinosaurs, and discovering new ideas for treating cancer. All of that seems like a lot of fun to me!

Comments

  • Photo: michellethom

    michellethom commented on :

    Yes, sometimes it can be fun! I’m lucky that I work in a really great team and I love what I do. Of course there will always be times when it’s hard or difficult but that’s why you need lots of fun hobbies outside of work to balance things out. Being a scientist opens up so many new opportunities and keeps life interesting.

  • Photo: martinmcmahon

    martinmcmahon commented on :

    Being a scientist really is the most fun thing I can imagine. During my working life I have seen so many incredible things and been a part of some amazing work and discoveries. The people I have worked with have included inventors of skin cancer detection equipment, Mars rover engineers, FBI forensic scientists. But since working in 3D printing I’ve helped so many more scientists, including brain surgeons at Addenbrookes hospital and race engineers at teams like Red Bull, Williams, and McLaren.