• Question: What are the best and worst things (if any) about science overall?

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      Asked by Dr Sibley to John, Laura, Luke, Rob, Ruth on 16 Jun 2016. This question was also asked by Harry Potter, alfe, Cat-er-lin.
      • Photo: Ruth Patchett

        Ruth Patchett answered on 16 Jun 2016:

        The best thing is making brand new molecules as it makes you feel like ou are pushing the boundaries and doing what no-one has done before. The worst thing is sometimes no matter how hard you work your reaction just won’t work and it is really frustrating having to give up on these reactions 🙁

      • Photo: Luke Williams

        Luke Williams answered on 16 Jun 2016:

        The best thing is that it is a voyage of discovery. you are always looking for something new, something beyond the current extent of human knowledge.

        The worst thing is probably that if an old friend asks you what you are doing now, you have to pause slightly before sandblasting them with an excited blast of information -have to tone things down so that everyone who *hasn’t* spent so many months or years looking at XYZ can get on the same page.

      • Photo: John Fossey

        John Fossey answered on 16 Jun 2016:

        Talking about your ideas with others and getting help to create new things is great.

        The worst thing is that you are always under evaluation, grants submitted – waiting for news, papers submitted – waiting for news. These kinds of things where you can do an amazing job and there just isn’t enough money means months of work wasted. Or the referees just did not see what you meant and your paper is rejected. Chasing league tables and rankings of universities etc. constant evaluation.

        But then perhaps the best thing is when you are successful in those evaluation, grants awarded, papers accepted etc.

      • Photo: Laura Finney

        Laura Finney answered on 16 Jun 2016:

        Science is always changing and so the best thing for me is I never get bored because I am always learning something new. In fact it is you who is making the new discoveries which is amazing!
        The worst thing has to be that it is very hard work and sometimes reactions just don’t work like Ruth said, you might spend a long time working on them and have to give up. That can be hard to take but you learn to pick yourself up and dust yourself down and carry on with a smile anyway 🙂

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