Question: I know you enjoy science but is it hard?

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  1. Yes and no!

    Yes, it is hard, because sometimes you are faced with problems that you don’t know which way to turn to answer them for a long time. Or you have to try and understand something, and it is incredibly complicated, and you end up feeling pretty dumb sometimes. Or other people ask you for help or advice, and you don’t have anything useful to offer them.

    But also no – despite the problems, there is always something else you can turn your mind to, and sometimes you suddenly get a great idea, and it works – and it is all fun. It must be hard turning up to a job that is exactly the same everyday and you are told what to do – that is the total opposite of working as a researcher!

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  2. Science is mostly about pushing boundaries and trying to get answers for questions for the first time. Sometimes the hardest things are actually asking the right questions or getting the science right so that people are more likely to believe you.

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  3. Would probably say challenging rather than hard. I guess for me hard implies that something is difficult – also I have to do, but am not necessarily interested in or good at. For me doing a repetitive mindless job would be hard!
    Science for me is challenging in an inspiring way. Yes there can be lots of work, long hours, sometimes under difficult conditions, but it certainly isn’t always that way. However, those times can also be among the most enjoyable, productive and memorable.

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  4. I agree with James: it’s more challenging than hard. There are of course some parts of science that I find difficult – some of the mathematics for example – but I love the thrill of discovery and the satisfaction of solving a challenging problem. In some ways solving a difficult problem is the most satisfying!

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