Why Do You Do Science?
Hi Friends of Women in Science,
I remember how much I enjoyed reading the first edition of Vivian Gornick's book Women in Science Then and Now and also Athena Unbound a few years later. The best part of both books was that you could see how much joy women took in doing science, discovering new things, using their science brains. Some of the other women-in-science books are rather depressing, although useful, compendiums of the reasons why women fail. I'd always think, reading those, don't people wonder why these women bother to try to make it in science? What motivates women to stick with it in spite of all of these barriers and biases?
I found a nice description of part of my reason for sticking it out in science on the Isis blog recently, and I quote;"For me, the joy in science comes from realizing that you are looking at data that no one else has seen. I remember standing at the bench with a new student several months ago looking at a piece of data. I leaned over and whispered to him, "I want you to remember this instance, looking at these data. Right now, you and I are the only people in the world who know this thing." The smile on his face while he pondered that little secret that we shared was amazing. Absolutely, truly one of the reasons I do science."
I also love it when I imagine how things fit together and when the data support that idea, usually an idea that I've had for a year or two. Real thrills. And then I love the details: pipettors that shoot their tips neatly into a beaker, and automatically looking at the liquid in the tip to make sure it looks right, the finger flicking of tiny tubes, the gorgeous orange fluorescnece of ethidium bromide-stained DNA or RNA bands in an electrophoresis gel. It's a joy.
But also, the fun of explaining the big picture to a young student, and as Isis says, the thrill of being in on the secret and the sharing of that secret with a few of your students.
So, I wonder, what does it for you? Where does the thrill of science lie?
I can't give you choices this time. Too many possibilities!
I really hate the idea that the field of science is a by product of the real stuff, competition. To me, it's about the science and any competition is an irrelevant or distracting side issue. Growl.
I saw a quote from a male scientist to the effect that science was all about the competition and the science was just a by-product. It sounds like no one on this forum would agree with that idea. You're all discussing the science/understanding/beauty of the discovery and not getting there before your competitors.
Hi Small Science Woman,
I know what you mean, I love to see the students learn something or find something really novel. I really can't feel a difference between a novel discovery by a student in my lab and finding such a new thing myself.
cheers,
Laura
Because I do a lot of teaching, for me a major thrill is seeing the light on on behind a student's eyes when he or she understands something complex. I had a student last year who really struggled with the Hox genes but all of a sudden she got it. What a beautiful smile!
I had a good time doing research but don't do much any more in person, although my students still do it. With that configuration, I feel kind of removed from the thrill, although when a student finds something really surprising I can still feel a little electric shock.
I'm with Isis, the thrill of being the first human to know something can't be beat. But that combines with the sort of click with various pieces of evidence fall into place and you see the main pattern all at once. Beautiful! not to mention addictive!
FBP
Hi Helen,
I know what you mean. I once did a science gig for my daughter's kindergarten class, had them predict if rose petals and leaves were solid red and solid green, and wow were they surprised when they got to see in the microscope those red and green dots! A real Ahah! I'm glad you still have that in your scientific experience. I only rarely get to do fluorescent microscopy any more, and I miss it!
cheers,
Laura
I've always loved looking through a microscope ever since I was a child to see "hidden worlds". It's that moment of discovery as you described Laura, "seeing" the answer in front of me. Now I perform whole animal imaging and have to often wait for the final result, but when that picture pops up on that screen, and I begin to analyze the data and get the answer to the question I asked in that experiment, the whole world drops away and its just me and the data for several minutes/hours. It's a rush you just can't get anywhere else!
