• Question: how many hours of day do you work being a scientist?

    Asked by simone2001 to Alan, Deepak, Francesca, Lilly, Nick on 10 Mar 2014.
    • Photo: Deepak Kar

      Deepak Kar answered on 10 Mar 2014:

      Well, I dont think there is a fixed number like 9 am to 5 pm. One of the things I love about doing science is you can pick your working hours without anyone complaining ;-).

      I normally set out with a target for a day, and try to get it done. Of course I wont skip dinner if it is still not finished, but somedays I do end up working late in the evening. Then again on some days, I get everything done quickly, and have the afternoon to watch football!

    • Photo: Alan Fitzsimmons

      Alan Fitzsimmons answered on 10 Mar 2014:

      At least 8 hours a day. Some of this time might be spent teaching physics and astronomy to students at my University, the rest will be spent doing scientific investigations. If I’m trying to solve an interesting problem or do an interesting measurement, I’ll even work on it at home – unless I’m watching The Big Bang Theory or the Simpsons on tv!

      Of course, if I’m at an observatory with the telescopes, it can be over 12 hours a day, but that’s because it’s really fun.

    • Photo: Lilian Hunt

      Lilian Hunt answered on 10 Mar 2014:

      I think that depends how carried away I get with my work! Generally I try to get into work by 9.30 but the end of the day comes when I’ve reached a point where I’ve completed my tasks for the day. If my work is going really well or needs lots of concentration I can look up from my lab bench and realise it’s 7.30pm already! Also, some of my practical work is a bit like following a recipe and you can;t leave a cake half baked so I have to keep going to the end of the experiment. Whether I leave at 5pm or 9pm, I know I have achieved something which is a great feeling (but on Tuesdays I try and leave early for rugby training with my team!).

    • Photo: Francesca Day

      Francesca Day answered on 10 Mar 2014:

      Most days I work for about 8 hours. This is similar to any job really. One of the good things about being a scientist though is the hours are often really flexible. For example, I really hate getting up early so I often don’t start work until 10am or 11am!

    • Photo: Nick Wright

      Nick Wright answered on 11 Mar 2014:

      I try to spend a normal 8 hour day at the office, but because I mostly work for myself doing research I have some flexibility and can go home early if I don’t think I’m getting anything done. But equally if I’m working hard and doing well I sometimes work late or put some work in at the weekends. Because I enjoy my job so much I don’t mind how much I work!

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