• Question: what do you think is the key thing about being a scientist?

    Asked by hello its me to Adam, Adele, Deborah, Matt, Samantha on 10 Jun 2017. This question was also asked by 989actj35.
    • Photo: Matthew Lee

      Matthew Lee answered on 10 Jun 2017:

      Wanting to learn (could also be called being inquisitive). You have to want to learn, and you have to want to go and do the learning yourself either through experiments or through reading. The whole point of science is to advance our understanding of the world, and to learn from that understanding and to apply it to our lives.

      That might sound quite boring and hard work, but when you find an area of science you are really really interested in (the kind of interested where you would give up chocolate to do more of it) it’s very easy to want to learn more about it and to make yourself do the learning without any help.

    • Photo: Deborah Aitken

      Deborah Aitken answered on 11 Jun 2017:

      Do you ever think “I wonder how I could do that/why that works/what this does?” And suddenly you’ve made something/taken something to pieces/spent an hour playing with something you probably shouldn’t touch? Well congratulations – you’re a scientist!

      I think the key thing bout being a scientist is to never stop asking those type of questions and thinking of ways to find out the answers. The best science conversations start with these and just keep building on them.

      “Remember kids, the only difference between screwing around and science is writing it down” – Adam Savage

    • Photo: Adele Wratten

      Adele Wratten answered on 12 Jun 2017:

      I definitely agree with Matthew and Deborah – there’s nothing more satisfying than being paid to do something that you enjoy!

    • Photo: Samantha Ahern

      Samantha Ahern answered on 12 Jun 2017:

      Like Adele, I agree with Matthew and Deborah.

      Its also about the notion of having strong beliefs held loosely, being able to adjust our viewpoint/understanding based on new evidence

    • Photo: Adam Hargreaves

      Adam Hargreaves answered on 12 Jun 2017:

      I think we’re all in agreement on this one!
      Definitely being curious about why things are the way they are and how things work is the driving force. You know when children get to about 6 years old and never ever stop asking “why?”, imagine that never going away!

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