• Question: do you ever think that you would stop wanting to be a scientist ever in your life if so why would you stop??

    Asked by anon-254803 to Ashleigh on 18 May 2020.
    • Photo: Ashleigh Barron

      Ashleigh Barron answered on 18 May 2020:

      I don’t think I’d ever want to stop being a scientists, I have been working in physics for over 10 years now and I’m not sure what else I would do. My job has changed from when I first became a scientist, I am no longer working in research in a university but am instead working in a company. Most of the time my job involves fixing problems, finding out what went wrong with a laser build and trying to stop it from happening again rather than research, sometimes I do have a lot of paperwork to do and when this happens I do miss being in the lab as that’s what I like to do most. So if I was to stop doing what I’m currently doing I might choose something more hands on. When I am having days when nothing seems to go right (which happens a fair bit in science) I sometimes think “Why am I doing this?” but then I have days when thinks just go smoothly or I make a discovery that’s been annoying myself and my colleagues for ages and it all make me enjoy what I do again.

Comments

  • Photo: John

    John commented on :

    I’m 65 years old so its a bit late to stop now, but even a few years ago my answer would still be no, I would not want to stop. In fact my problem will soon be ‘How can I carry on being a scientist? I am an astronomer, I do not want to be an ‘ex-astronomer’ or a ‘retired astronomer’. It has not always been a bunch of roses, sometimes its been really hard to keep going , but on balance I wouldn’t change a thing (unless someone offered me a spaceflight). I have met lots of interesting and really clever people, been to many interesting places and made a few small discoveries. That is always a blast, for a few hours or days you know something that no-one else in the world knows, until you tell them. Great!