What do you find interesting about your job ? :)

Question: What do you find interesting about your job ? :)
- Keywords:
  career,
  interesting,
  job,
  work
Asked by kjstewart97 to Paddy, Chris, Eva, Michael, Philip on 16 Jun 2011. This question was also asked by zaira.
- Paddy Brock answered on 12 Jun 2011:
  
  I find the broadness of topics that I get to read about every day very interesting, and I love thinking about the process of natural selection and how it shapes the world.
- Eva Bachmair answered on 16 Jun 2011:
  
  The possibilities. If you are trained to be an accountant than you are an accountant. But when you are a trained scientist you also learnt to think in a certain way, to apply your knowledge to various problems. That means, you can also switch topics (in a reasonable range of course), for example I started working in my undergraduates with cells and human cancer, then moved on to animals and diabetes and now I am working with humans and do research in heart health.
- Chris Jordan answered on 16 Jun 2011:
  
  I work on something that is different everyday and I work with really good people (this bit of science has a lot of team work). Occasionally I get to got to interesting places too … usually other telescopes!
- Michael Wharmby answered on 16 Jun 2011:
  
  I like finding out new things – it that fascinates me. I also like all the problem solving I have to do, which can be annoyig at times, but when I look back at a solved problem, I feel really good.
  
  Like the others I like the broadness of my work and not feeling trapped having to do only one thing all the time. My work is very varied – I work in the lab, on the computer be it analysing data or writing up results, doing things like IAS…. There aren’t many jobs that would allow me to do so many different things. I’m never bored doing my work, in part because there are so many things to do!
- Philip Denniff answered on 16 Jun 2011:
  
  The chase. The target is set ‘find a method of reducing the blood sample volume you need to measure drug levels in the body’. Hunting for possible ways to solve the problem (there is no such thing a silly idea). Sorting through all the option for the few that look as though they may work. OK mine was not selected, a colleagues was much better, Dried Blood Spots (its so simple its beautiful, prick the finger an put the blood drop on filter paper). Developing the idea, and visiting unexpected places, display cabinets at the Met in New York, biscuit factories in Pakistan (I did not physically go there but I read articles published by them). Test the idea and run it as far and fast as you can. This is beginning to show some flaws in the idea; it gives the wrong answer if the blood is very thin and watery. Can we fix it? Of cause we can (well I hope we can). Then the chase will be on again. And finally a win. (I hope we make it to the finishing post)

Question: What do you find interesting about your job ? :)

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