• Question: How long have you been a scientist?

    Asked by jesslivrok to Gioia, Iain, Jo, Leo, Mariam on 14 Jun 2010 in Categories: . This question was also asked by 07spearson, katieeandbeccaa.
    • Photo: Joanna Watson

      Joanna Watson answered on 14 Jun 2010:


      I’ve been a scientist as my job for about 5 years now, but I studied science for a long time before that and I’ve like sciencey stuff since I was really little.

    • Photo: Iain Moal

      Iain Moal answered on 14 Jun 2010:


      I suppose it depends on when you stop being a student and start being a scientists. Its been about 4 years since my first peer-reviewed scientific publication.

    • Photo: Gioia Cherubini

      Gioia Cherubini answered on 14 Jun 2010:


      I have started studied science 14 years ago, but I have been doing research for 10 years! I have actually celebrated my 10 years anniversary 2 weeks ago…I still remember how I was dressed and how nervous I was that I was going to do a disaster in the lab. Wow, it’s quite scary to see how the time has gone quickly since then!

    • Photo: Leo Garcia

      Leo Garcia answered on 14 Jun 2010:


      I have been working as a paid scientist for nearly 3 years.

      But I like to think of being a scientist that anyone can do – because it is always possible to think scientifically about the world around you, whatever your job is.

      Being a scientist means being sceptical, open minded, curious and able to make decisions based on logic, reason and evidence. If you happen to get paid for it, then that’s great – but you can behave in this way whatever you do and, in my opinion, still call yourself a scientist (except on application forms – let’s not take this to some kind of crazy extreme… It’s a nice thought, though, isn’t it?).

    • Photo: Mariam Orme

      Mariam Orme answered on 14 Jun 2010:


      I suppose it depends what you count as being a scientist. I’d probably count it from when I started my PhD, which was 12 years ago. That makes me feel really old!

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