• Question: how old were you when you decided to become a scientist?

    Asked by anon-187207 to Stewart, Marton, Laura, Kathryn, Miriam, David on 13 Nov 2018. This question was also asked by anon-187184.
    • Photo: Stewart Martin-Haugh

      Stewart Martin-Haugh answered on 13 Nov 2018:

      I was 16 – I read some books about physics and thought it was really cool.

      Lots of other people decide earlier or later. I know people who didn’t realise they wanted to be scientists until they were in their twenties, or older. And I know people who started out as scientists and then decided to do other things:

      – medical physicist (calculate how much radiation to use to treat cancer patients)
      – climate change analyst (work in government, figure out how UK should reduce its carbon footprint)
      – nuclear fusion engineer (work on new, clean kind of nuclear power for future)
      – patent lawyer (work with companies to make sure their inventions aren’t stolen)

      The skills you pick up learning to be a scientist are really useful, whatever you go into.

    • Photo: Laura Kent

      Laura Kent answered on 13 Nov 2018:

      I think it was when I picked my A-levels so when I was 15!
      I always enjoyed science and thought that it would allow me to always be learning! I thought it would also teach me lots of different skills as well! And it has – from communication skills to data management and the ability to solve problems logically!

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