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What question would you ask?

November 17th, 2008 | questions

If you had a chance to visit with a scientist for a day, what questions would you ask? 

Illustration by Mark Witton

Often when students are thinking about science in school, they’re given advice that they should try volunteering in a lab.  The idea is that you can see first hand what it’s like to be a scientist and chat to the real people who do science.  Unfortunately, it’s pretty hard to find volunteering opportunities.

ScienceGirl would like to suggest an alternative.  If you post your questions here, she’ll find someone who works in a lab who can answer your questions.  Use the “Comments” button below … and ScienceGirl will reply online.

I’m thinking back to the first lab jobs that I had.  I worked for small biotechnology company growing cells, and in another research lab collecting DNA samples.  I asked all kinds of questions: About what is was like to be a scientist?  About how companies work?  About where people went to school?  About what they were reading?  About cells?  About DNA?  … the list goes on!

So, what kind of questions would you ask?

3 comments ↓

#1 Amy on 11.17.08 at 5:05 pm

Well if you want someone to talk about injury mechanisms and forensics (outside of the lab-y type forensics:) ) then I’m your gal! Seriously.

#2 Mike on 11.18.08 at 10:34 am

If you’re doing science in school do you always have to work in a lab? What else can you do?

#3 ScienceGirl on 11.18.08 at 10:41 am

Hi Mike,

If you take Science in school, there are all kinds of opportunities that open up to you. For example, I know science graduates who:

  • who write for magazines
  • who host science TV shows
  • who work in companies
  • who write for and/or run science-y websites
  • who work as lawyers
  • who have become artists
  • who work as engineers, specifically forensic engineers (right, Amy!)
  • who work as nurses or doctors
  • the list goes on…

Thanks for the question,
SG

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