The Ultimate List Of Why Scientists Love Science

In spite of the many moments of misery in your scientific life, there will be plenty of opportunities to also say “YAY.” Let us count the ways…

AsianScientist (Jul. 8, 2016) – Sometimes, you really do have to admit to yourself that making a career of science is not always an enjoyable experience. Long hours, little job security, low income relative to education level… the list goes on. But at the same time, when something amazing happens, it makes everything totally worth it.

For example, my past week was terrible. The machine was down for two days causing a backlog of experiments, and then—BOOM! The flu that had been going around the lab finally hit me. NOOOO! I didn’t have time to be sick!

When I did manage to drag myself in to work, I let out a big sigh of despair and began the long-delayed experiment. That sigh turned into a groan as my test shots looked as though the preparation had failed. But oh well, the machine was blocked for me so I pressed start and went home to hibernate.

I wasn’t particularly brimming with anticipation when opening the measurement file the next morning, but gradually, oh so gradually, it dawned on me—THE EXPERIMENT WORKED!!! And it had actually worked beautifully! Then, for some reason, there was a lot of cake!!!

My joy was a like a sunbeam, spreading warmth and happiness on whoever it touched. It almost made the misery of being ill and having the machine down worth it. Almost.

So what else are the pleasures of scientific life? Oh gosh, where to start?


Category 1: Personal achievements

First things first, here’s a list that have no doubt brought or will bring you great, great joy!

  1. You were selected for your project of choice
  2. Your experiment worked—and so did the repeat experiment
  3. Your project worked
  4. You finished your degree/PhD
  5. You aced your presentation
  6. You aced your first lecture
  7. You taught a subject
  8. You received positive student feedback
  9. You learned a new technique
  10. You developed a new technique
  11. You wrote your technique as a protocol that is now being used by multiple labs
  12. Your paper was accepted
  13. You have been a first author
  14. You have been a last author
  15. Your paper was cited
  16. Your work was covered by the wider press
  17. Your grant was accepted
  18. Your next few grants were accepted
  19. You have tenure
  20. You made full professor
  21. You have neither tenure nor a full professorship, but you’re nevertheless satisfied with your body of work



Category 2: Other people in your science life

As great as it is to recognize your own achievements in your field, you’ve probably got lots of friends and colleagues who are also scientists with their own challenges—challenges that need to be celebrated when they’re overcome!

  1. The new student learned an established lab technique
  2. The student was able to successfully replicate the technique without supervision
  3. The student successfully graduated
  4. The student is now your friend and collaborator
  5. Being able to debate different issues and ideas with your friends/collaborators and being able to trust their perspective
  6. You desperately need something that you can’t acquire on your own or within a certain time frame but your friends/collaborators help you plug that hole
  7. You repay your friend’s kindness, thereby creating a self-perpetuating circle of joy between you and your friend/collaborator
  8. You read a paper that is genuinely exciting to you or your field
  9. That paper was written by someone you know
  10. That paper was written by someone you consider a friend
  11. A friend in a completely unrelated field publishes a paper
  12. A friend in a completely unrelated field invents something
  13. You’re not really sure what the invention does but you accept that it’s awesome
  14. You are really sure what the invention does and it IS awesome!
  15. You have a great relationship with a sales representative and they give you special deals
  16. Your friend/collaborator has a great relationship with a sales representative and their special deal can be extended to you



Category 3: Science life in general

Sometimes the joy isn’t even related to you and your work or your friends and their work. Sometimes, it’s just a state of being.

  1. The bliss of your first sip of coffee in the morning
  2. The bliss of a colleague making the morning coffee and making enough for it to go around
  3. The bliss of a colleague making extra food and bringing it in to work for everyone to share
  4. The bliss of multiple colleagues making extra food and bringing it in to work for everyone to share
  5. There’s free food and drinks in your department
  6. Free stuff in general
  7. When a significant scientific event occurs or finding is reported (e.g., an eclipse, confirmation of a theory)
  8. When bizarre scientific finding are reported which vaguely supports your theories about your lifestyle (e.g., that eating chocolate is associated with improved cognition, meaning that that 3 pm chocolate break is helping)
  9. You’ve had a complete nerdgasm while indulging in some nerd tourism
  10. You’re not ashamed of your nerdgasm
  11. You shared your experience with your colleagues and they also had a nerdgasm
  12. You know exactly what I mean when I use the word ‘nerdgasm’ and it makes you smile

So remember, even though there are many moments of misery in your scientific life, there will be plenty of opportunities to also say “YAY.” Happy researching, everyone!


This article is from a monthly column called The Sometimes Serious Scientist. Click here to see the other articles in this series.

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Source: Asian Scientist Magazine; Photo: Shutterstock.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

Alice Ly is a postdoctoral researcher in Germany. She completed her PhD at the University of Melbourne, and has a BSc in Pathology (First Class Hons) and BA (Art History). She enjoys microscopy, cakes, photos of puppies, and removing warm items from the incubator.

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