53 replies to this topic

[netron]

How many of you really are doing research as a passion instead of for survival, and really believe what you are doing is going to solve some real problem. I believe over 90% of us will respond "no" including myself.

[pcrman]

well, for me, doing research is half passion and half survival. I like what I am doing, but most of the time I am frustrated by the results I get. probably that is what research is for.

[Minnie Mouse]

netron, on Apr 9 2009, 07:38 PM, said:

How many of you really are doing research as a passion instead of for survival, and really believe what you are doing is going to solve some real problem. I believe over 90% of us will respond "no" including myself.

me, yes  

I worked as a volunteer technician for 6 months, then worked as a fully self-funded PhD student for 2 years in the same lab.

If it is not for passion, I would do a MBA instead...
A small investment company offered to pay for my MBA tuition and gave me a brand new BMW if I do MBA and continue working in their company.

[haiyan]

Minnie Mouse, on Apr 9 2009, 07:26 PM, said:

netron, on Apr 9 2009, 07:38 PM, said:

How many of you really are doing research as a passion instead of for survival, and really believe what you are doing is going to solve some real problem. I believe over 90% of us will respond "no" including myself.

me, yes  

I worked as a volunteer technician for 6 months, then worked as a fully self-funded PhD student for 2 years in the same lab.

If it is not for passion, I would do a MBA instead...
A small investment company offered to pay for my MBA tuition and gave me a brand new BMW if I do MBA and continue working in their company.

It is quite hard to keep that passion like you. I guess most of people doing research for survival. Although I like doing research, I have to say that it is also for survival. I live on it and I make money from it. It is my job. I can not do the same thing as what Minnemouse did because I need money to live. But I like it. So, It is Ok for me because my job is my interest.

Edited by haiyan, 10 April 2009 - 06:12 AM.

[MKR]

I do it for the passion, when it gets old then I will do something else 'for the passion'. Sure, I also make my money this way and have a wife and two kids to support. But heck, why live just to survive? You can work at the quicky mart and survive. Do something to make money, but make sure it's something you love - I really understand people using the money excuse?  Look at the stock market, your money could be gone in an instant, if you're only living to make money then it is going to suck when you lose money. Learn, discover, create, enjoy.... those things can't be taken from you.

....okay, I'm sick of research , just sick of how the funding and politics is set up, but that's every job

[toejam]

Minnie Mouse, on Apr 10 2009, 04:56 AM, said:

me, yes  

I worked as a volunteer technician for 6 months, then worked as a fully self-funded PhD student for 2 years in the same lab.

If it is not for passion, I would do a MBA instead...
A small investment company offered to pay for my MBA tuition and gave me a brand new BMW if I do MBA and continue working in their company.

it would be easy to self-fund my phd if my dad owned the largest amusement parks in the world (ie disneyland, disneyworld and eurodisney)

i also do it for passion, however, i get paid to do this, so it could be considered to be done for survival, no charity is supporting me economically. and i think it's not worth it to do a phd only as a job, too much frustration involved, as minnie suggests do an MBA instead if you're after money...

[leelee]

I would have to say passion too. If it were not for the enjoyment and satisfaction that I get out of doing what I do- I could easily be earning 2 or 3 times more money doing something else.
But happiness and fulfilment is more important than money and material things to me

[Clare]

netron, on Apr 10 2009, 04:38 AM, said:

How many of you really are doing research as a passion instead of for survival, and really believe what you are doing is going to solve some real problem. I believe over 90% of us will respond "no" including myself.

For me it's all about the passion!  

But I fear that I may have to turn to survival mode and turn to Industry if the "credit crunch" can no longer feed my passion.


Clare

[gebirgsziege]

Passion, what else? Why should anybody take all the frustrating moments with experiments that do not work out, nights of writing papers or grants......without passion for doing research?

ok, you need to survive and make your living somehow, but if netron is right there should be enough space for them....for the others there are BMWs and MBAs   

But serious: if you do not like what you are doing....you spend most of the time of your life at work; it is horrible to imagine that 90 % of the people out there are only thinking when to go home and really start living    I like my work and hope that I will never have to take up a job I do not like just for surviving  

[hanming86]

I do it because i wanna know my answer. Curiosity brings me this far and along with curiosity comes the passion.

How it works ? why it works? etc. it's all part of the game.

If u do research , i think it's better to do it with the right reason.

Because when other ppl are doing the same thing everyday, you're finding and discovering new knowledge.

i do it because i don't know and i want to know.


it's 10.46pm and i am still in the lab lol on a public holiday.

[Katie]

hanming86, on May 1 2009, 10:50 AM, said:

I do it because i wanna know my answer. Curiosity brings me this far and along with curiosity comes the passion.

How it works ? why it works? etc. it's all part of the game.

If u do research , i think it's better to do it with the right reason.

Because when other ppl are doing the same thing everyday, you're finding and discovering new knowledge.

i do it because i don't know and i want to know.


it's 10.46pm and i am still in the lab lol on a public holiday.

Hehe, I get that!

So for me it's passion and also curiosity. YES, I want my results to solve problems! YES, I want to cure illness and save the wolrd

I'm doing my masters right now, in the industry, and so I'm fairly new and unconsumed.
But I know, if it wasn't for passion but survival, I would do something that earns more money... e.g. driving a cab No, seriously, I don't think you can do science for money. Maybe survival, but still it's a weird choice when there is no passion. You could have dozens of other choices to earn triple the money and do it without the passion (and maybe not get frustrated every second evening)

As said earlier : what endure all this for??

[Telomerase]

I second that  

Passion it is. Not saving the world - despite my signature I do not believe I have such power - but boy I do loooove puzzles.
I went from idealistic passion through lots of dissapointments and passion again.
Of course, sometimes it is a love/hate relationship, but old marriages have it like that.
A warm feeling from job well done and paycheck every month is a good thing, too, but if I desperately wanted more money, I'd move somewhere else.

Edited by Telomerase, 06 May 2009 - 08:26 AM.

[themoon]

Easily,  I'd say for the passion - i cant possibly understand how you would survive in scientific research without the passion, without the drive to discover etc. i mean, who really loves working in the lab til 11pm at night and coming in on weekends.. AND get underpaid for it? its great to see a the majority of researchers are driven by the passion and not by the $$. and besides, what kind of scientific research salary would motivate any of us to get out of bed? considering the 7 + years  people are required to complete to be doctors in their field... what else would drive you to do something so insane??!!! without passion, there is no will.. and without will.. there is no perserverance.. and where would one be without perserverance in science? stuck in the corner of the lab with a broken agarose gel sliding out of your hands and crying miserably (this probably happens to some of us on occasion )! i think all of us scientists do it for the passion.. regardless of what they say.. the passion is always there subconsciously!

Edited by themoon, 06 July 2009 - 06:04 AM.

[merlav]

Passion...I really love my job!!!!I used to told to my students that if they want $$$ they should change their studies to engineer.  Scientist work for love of iscience not for love to money....

[DELETEMYACCOUNTPLEASE]

It would be nice to do something I enjoy and get paid well for it, until that happens I am happy to be in science (but you can't be a postdoc forever).