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Asked by anon-292588 to Sian, Ross, Rosie, Rebecca, Carmen, Kip, Steve on 26 Apr 2021. This question was also asked by anon-292507, anon-292515.
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Rosie Goodburn answered on 26 Apr 2021:
Hi Sara, I remember when I started my physics degree, the head of the department told us that we were all scientists now! I was surprised because I thought we were too young had hadn’t earned it yet, but looking back he was right – there didn’t seem to be a starting point to being a scientist because we were doing experiments and thinking about the world from a scientific point of view even during my first degree! So if you count it from that point, I’ve been a scientist for 12 years!
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Rebecca Reed answered on 26 Apr 2021:
I’d say ‘officially’ almost 4 years doing my PhD, but to take Rosie’s view starting from my undergraduate degree, I guess 10 years!
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Steve Briddon answered on 27 Apr 2021: last edited 27 Apr 2021 9:01 am
Just – expanding my comment below – Love Rosie’s answer (and her Physics head of Department). They are right of course – science is about a way of thinking and a method. So I don’t think it would be unreasonable to say you’re a scientist – even at school! However, I know you probably meant “as a job” – so if I take from when I started doing my full-time training (on my PhD) – this was in 1992 – so 28 years (32 if you count my undergraduate degree). Blimey – that’s a LONG time :-)!
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Kip Heath answered on 27 Apr 2021:
Hey Sara,
I have been a scientist since I left school. There’s different ways of measuring it but at 18 I started getting paid to be a scientist so I count that. 😀 (It will be 15 years in September)
Comments
Ed commented on :
Well I guess since I started to get paid to do science – so about 6 years. I am still learning (doing a PhD) but I get paid for this so I would call myself a scientist.
Michael commented on :
I started at 17 (about two weeks before my 18th Birthday), strat from 6th Form…..and that was 17 years ago, half of my life!
Steve commented on :
I guess I was a “scientist” as my job since I started my PhD – which was in 1992. In a different century 🙂 (I make that 29 years!). This is when I started working full time in the lab doing science.