• Question: do you have to be clever and a geek to be a scientist. Gabrielle D

    Asked by 674grte22 to Steve, Emma, Christian, Bose, Alice on 10 Mar 2016.
    • Photo: Emma Dean

      Emma Dean answered on 10 Mar 2016:

      I think to be a geek, means you are very passionate about a subject. In the media, scientists are often shown as people who don’t have many friends, are a bit weird, wear lab coats and glasses and are usually men. In this sense of the word geek, no, you don’t have to be like that to become a scientist! All you need is a lot of interest and really enjoy learning. You don’t have to be the cleverest person in the class either. You do need to work hard though, because many universities want their science students to have good A-Level grades.

    • Photo: Alice Harpole

      Alice Harpole answered on 10 Mar 2016:

      I’d say you have to be pretty smart – you have to understand concepts that are at the edge of current human understanding. However, as Emma said, it’s more important that you’re prepared to work hard.

      You don’t at all have to be a geek! Although I do have a few geeky tendencies, I like to think I do defy some of the ‘geeky scientist’ stereotypes, e.g. despite being an astrophysicst, I have never seen Star Wars or Star Trek, and I haven’t worn a lab coat since my first year at university!

    • Photo: Steve Marsden

      Steve Marsden answered on 10 Mar 2016:

      If you’re defining a geek as being passionate about something, then I’d say that this will probably make your life a lot easier. As a student you’re going to have to put a lot of work in, both to get into and through university. As a researcher, some of the time you will have to put in long hours, working late in the office, or work the night shift in a control room. It’s a lot easier to do that if you’re passionate about science.

      If you’re defining geek as someone who’s into sci-fi, dungeons and dragons, and has a bad dress sense, then not necessarily, but you can be if you like. You have to be able to do the research to a high standard, and none of those things have any impact on your ability.

      PS. Alice, what are you saying?!! You’ve never seen Star Wars? I’m not saying you have to like it, but to have never seen it? 😮

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