8.6.2010

MY MILLENNIUM STORY - HOW DID I CHOOSE TO BE A SCIENTIST?

In a press conference with the 2010 Millennium Technology Prize laureates, the moderator, Chairman of the Board of Technology Academy Finland, Dr Stig Gustavson asked the Laureates why they chose to be scientists, and not for example bankers. Here is how they responded.

“My father was an engineer and I was always interested in mathematics”, said Professor Steve Furber, who actually represented Britain in the mathematics Olympics. “Then I became interested in aviation, so it was quite natural to start studying aerodynamics.”

“I played with Meccanos until I was about ten years old, and then I switched to building my own radios and other electronics”, said Professor Sir Richard Friend. “Later on I studied physics and chemistry at the university and drifted happily into research.”

Michael Grätzel told the audience: “Math and science were my passions as a school kid, but also music. Most of my friends thought that I would become a concert pianist, but I chose to study physics and chemistry and thought that a career in science is a safer option than a career in music.”

Professor Grätzel also said that he has always been interested in natural processes. “I am curious and curiosity leads my work. I try to study and mimic nature, like photosynthesis, in my work.” The energy crises during 1976-77 were also a turning point in his career. “I realised then that sooner or later we will run out of oil and fossil fuels, so I decided to study the alternatives.”

Curiousity drives

Money has not been a motivational force to any one of the Laureates. Instead, curiosity drives all of them.

“I believe our ignorance is profound,” said Sir Richard. “We should never get to the point where we think there is nothing left to be discovered.” That is also a reason why Professor Friend chose to work in an area that was not much studied, plastic electronics: “My colleagues warned me that I was making a big mistake, but for me the attraction was there: if little was known, there was much to be discovered.”

Steve Furber reminded the audience that when a scientist gets recognition, he or she should remember that much of the work is done is teams within universities and companies. “We owe to many people when we get recognition, like I own a lot to Acorn Company that was leading the research and believed in the work we did.”

pekka.virolainen@technologyacademy.fi