• Question: are there any bad thin gs about bein a scientist???

    Asked by ch4rl13npukk4 to Duncan, Kiran, Paul, Sarah, Sharon on 15 Mar 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Duncan Murdock

      Duncan Murdock answered on 15 Mar 2010:

      Well the hardest thing is getting money to fund research. It’s very competitive with lots of scientists looking for money all the time.

    • Photo: Paul Stevenson

      Paul Stevenson answered on 15 Mar 2010:

      I don’t think so really. It’s a great feeling to feel that (a) you basically understand how the universe works and (b) you can solve whatever problems come your way. I think these are two of the key things that come from being a scientist. It gives you a great sense of confidence. Perhaps one downside is that I’m a scientist all the time – not only when I’m sitting at my desk. My girlfriend gets a bit annoyed with that sometimes.

    • Photo: Sharon Sneddon

      Sharon Sneddon answered on 15 Mar 2010:

      I sometimes have to work long hours which is not ideal, but it’s not all the time. Also when things don’t work for a long time, it can get a bit rubbish but thats why it’s good working with lots of other people as they can motivate you and help you out with problems!

    • Photo: Kiran Meekings

      Kiran Meekings answered on 15 Mar 2010:

      Yep – sometimes cells just don’t do what they’re supposed to. It’s especially annoying when you set up a month long experiment and then the annoying little things die just before the end! And also – and more seriously, most scientists start on fixed term contracts (that means you work for 2 years and then have to find another job). That means there’s not a lot of job security and causes a lot of stress… On the other hand, you get the opportunity to do fixed term contracts ANYWHERE in the world. I’ve had job offers from Japan, America and Canada!

    • Photo: Sarah Mount

      Sarah Mount answered on 15 Mar 2010:

      Well, there are never enough hours in the day to do all the fun things you’d like to. Probably the most difficult thing though is finding funding for your work. Government funding pays for things like PhD students to work with you, specialist equipment and travel to see collaborators or go to conferences. That funding is very difficult to get though, because the government wants to make sure that peoples taxes go to the best possible projects, which is great, but it also means that many scientists spend as much, or sometimes more time applying for funding as working on their science!

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