980025 TS On being a scientist (2010S)

There are many courses nowadays on how to organise your career as a scientist and how to "succeed" or "excel" in science. Science, however, depends on chance and the unexpected. How can one therefore plan a scientific career? And how does one define success or excellence in science? Is satisfaction in a career in science possible?

This lecture will look at these questions by examining what science actually is, what qualities one needs as a scientist, various ways of examining how success and excellence can be defined, how to increase the chance of having a grant funded, how to find a good group to work with and the importance of carrying out research in another country or continent. Examples from the lecturer's career and those of friends and colleagues will be used to illustrate the ideas. Sufficient time will be left to allow questions and discussions amongst the group.