• Question: What inspired you to be a scientist?

    Asked by molineux to Adam, Joanna, Louise S, Louise W, Marcus on 12 Nov 2012. This question was also asked by hungargames, jameswy1, chubbynugget, custardcann1, popinain1, puggy1.
    • Photo: Louise Walkin

      Louise Walkin answered on 12 Nov 2012:

      I like knowing that the work I do will help someone one day. It might be fifty years down the line but it’s good to know that what you are doing will make a difference someday. I had a great A-level biology teacher and he was very inspirational. I’ve actually met a lot of different people who have inspired me, but I think the main person was that teacher. I think you have to inspire yourself as well, if you know what you like and what you don’t like then just go for it! 🙂

    • Photo: Marcus Wilson

      Marcus Wilson answered on 12 Nov 2012:

      Science TV programs on the BBc really inspired me. I remember watching a science program and thinking getting really excited and that i would like to find out how they knew what they were saying. so i looked into how scientists find out what they say they ‘know’ and realised i really wanted to do that too!

    • Photo: Louise Stanley

      Louise Stanley answered on 12 Nov 2012:

      I think it is in my genes! All my family are scientists so I think I have been exposed to it all my life and we all enjoy it. One of my sisters isn’t in the lab anymore but she works for a company that is involved in handing out grants for other people to carry out experiments so her science background is still really useful. Also I think that along the way you learn a lot of transferable skills which means that there are a lot of other jobs that you be able to do even if you decide that you don’t want to be in the lab anymore.

    • Photo: Joanna Giles

      Joanna Giles answered on 13 Nov 2012:

      I have always loved science. I think for me it was my Biology teacher. He really encouraged me to apply to a good University and to keep in science. Luckily I enjoyed it so I was happy with his encouragement!

    • Photo: Adam Paige

      Adam Paige answered on 14 Nov 2012:

      I already loved science by the time I started secondary school (partly from lessons in primary school and partly from a love of super-hero comics and doctor who!).

      My secondary school science teacher Mr Wookey was fantastic. He did some fairly mad stuff with us – made us smell ammonia and hydrogen sulphide (don’t do this, extremely unpleasant smells and not very nice chemicals to inhale). He once burnt some sulphur to show us it changing to sulphur dioxide. It shot up to the ceiling like a mushroom cloud from an atomic bomb. Five minutes later as we were writing, this cloud sank down again and we all found that we couldn’t breath (sulphur dioxide makes you feel like you are choking) and we quickly had to open all the doors and windows. Mr Wookey’s casual reaction “Hmm, think I may have used a bit too much sulphur!”

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