• Question: Whats the biggest mistake you have made in science?

    Asked by charlie13 to David, Luna, Mark, Melanie, Probash on 17 Mar 2011 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Luna Munoz

      Luna Munoz answered on 16 Mar 2011:

      My biggest mistake is usually after the study is over and so it can be easily fixed. One mistake I can share with you is not knowing who I am collaborating with well enough to know that they are not honest scientists. I have had my work stolen from me and passed off as other people’s work. In another case, I have had my work go unacknowledged. That’s not cool and those things happened because the other people had seniority over me. Now, I am very careful in choosing who I work with.

    • Photo: David Pyle

      David Pyle answered on 16 Mar 2011:

      Oooh gosh.. If anything, it’s probably not writing up my new ideas quickly enough.. Some scientists are very good at being bold and provocative; I am more of a concensus person, and probably too much of a perfectionist. On the other hand, perhaps being a perfectionist means that you get more things right in the end, you just don’t get there as quickly.

    • Photo: Melanie Stefan

      Melanie Stefan answered on 17 Mar 2011:

      Listening to my boss! It’s a good thing to have supervisors that can help and guide your research in the early stages, but it is also important to realise that they are not always right, and to trust your own thoughts. It took me about a year (the entire duration of my Msc project) to realise that, and it was quite a heureka moment!

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