• Question: Do you enjoy what you do and do you think it could be influential to others

    Asked by tori to Alastair, Emma, Hywel, Keith, Vicki on 17 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Alastair Sloan

      Alastair Sloan answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      I do enjoy what I do Tori. As the work we are doing directed by a clinical problem and condition then I am hopeful that it would be influential to others , in showing them that science can benefit people and improve quality of life

    • Photo: Vicki Stevenson

      Vicki Stevenson answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      Hi Tori,
      I really enjoy my work! I’m trying to find ways of reducing fossil fuel use in buildings. It can be difficult for people to work out how to reduce their carbon emissions without being given advice and alternative ways of heating and powering their homes, so I think my work will really help them.

    • Photo: Keith Brain

      Keith Brain answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      Yes, I do enjoy the research I do. There are some types of research, particularly involving more maths, that are interesting to me, but not really to other people. So, I have to balance what I find most interesting, with what will help others. This is an important lesson to learn in science, that what is important for people is not always the most exciting thing.

      Another example – in many of the previous questions we’ve talked about discovering things for the first time, but in fact you have to repeat experiments many times in order to be sure that you have the right answer. This might seem (or be) boring, but it is absolutely necessary for your research to be useful.

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