• Question: when your older do you hope everybody knows about your work thanks

    Asked by anon-195174 on 7 Jan 2019.
    • Photo: Judith Sleeman

      Judith Sleeman answered on 7 Jan 2019:

      I would be very pleased if I could discover or develop something important and useful enough to be remembered, but I’m already quite old so need to get my skates on!!

    • Photo: Reka Nagy

      Reka Nagy answered on 8 Jan 2019:

      Not really – I don’t do my work for fame and glory, and as science is getting more and more specialised, it is getting increasingly harder for any one person to excel in their field – think about the ancient (or not so ancient) polymaths, like Leonardo da Vinci, who are still very-well known because of their contributions to many fields of science, and medicine – back then, it was ‘easier’ to make new discoveries because there was so much ‘big’ stuff we did not know about – whereas today, scientific questions are getting more and more specific and it most often takes a lot of collaboration between a lot of people, each experts in different fields, to figure out the answers!

    • Photo: James Cole

      James Cole answered on 8 Jan 2019:

      I only hope that my work and ideas contributes positively to the sum of human knowledge and perhaps inspires someone in the future to do great things. I don’t do my work for the fame or glory as such.

    • Photo: Laura Nolan

      Laura Nolan answered on 8 Jan 2019:

      I think most scientists would like to be remembered for something which has very high impact and I suppose I am no different in at least somewhat hoping for this. However, I think if this is our sole goal as scientists then most will be disappointed during and at the end of our careers (as few will attain such impact and recognition). Instead it is probably wiser, and of more use to the field we’re involved in, to be constantly motivated to contribute research work to the field, whether that is a large or small contribution.

    • Photo: Kevin Daly

      Kevin Daly answered on 8 Jan 2019:

      It would be certainly nice, but it’s far from the most important part of my work.

    • Photo: Paul McKeegan

      Paul McKeegan answered on 11 Jan 2019:

      I think I really do want to make a contribution to my field and to pass on my love of science to my students, but I don’t expect to be a household name!

Comments