[stu1992dent (OP)]

Hello,
For a high school project, I have to ask several questions to a scientist who works or worked in an English speaking country. The problem is that I don't find how to contact such a scientist. I wondered that posting a message on this forum could help me as it would appear directly in a scientific community!
The goal of this assignment is to understand what makes the life and the work of a scientist.
Thus, if someone is interested in answering the following questions, it would be very helpful!
This should look like an interview and this is why I prepared a few questions but you may ad whatever you find interesting or important! You can also avoid one or several questions. Eventually, you can email me directly if you want to keep it private.

Questions:
Can you present yourself?
What subjects are you studying / did you study and why did you choose to work in this field?
What are your achievements and publications?
What are the biggest challenges that you faced during your scientific career?
How and why did you become a scientist? Can you present your studies and motivations?
Is money a real problem when conducting projects for instance experiments?
Do you have to deal with deadlines or are you ''free'' with your work?
What do you plan for the future / what are your new goals?
Eventually, would you advise students to become scientist?

Thanks to anyone who would answer these questions and for the time spent on this project!

Bests regards

[alancalverd]

Can you present yourself? Essential. There is no point in discovering, measuring or inventing something if you can't explain or sell it to others. Writing, lecturing and face-to-face communication is vital.
 
What subjects are you studying / did you study and why did you choose to work in this field? Physics, with a bit of chemistry, mathematics and biology. These are the fundamental tools and knowledge bases of all sciences.

What are your achievements and publications? Few publications, but I built a national primary measurement standard and designed about a thousand medical imaging facilities.

What are the biggest challenges that you faced during your scientific career? Consensus, and official inspectors with severe Kruger-Dunning syndrome. "Proof by assertion" is not science.

How and why did you become a scientist? Can you present your studies and motivations? Total fascination with how things work, from a very early age. Too short-sighted to become a test pilot, too bored by biochemistry to be a doctor.

Is money a real problem when conducting projects for instance experiments? The problem in the UK is "raising the first million". Small project funding isn't too difficult and banks will lend against the security of your house. Major investors (pension funds and the like)  want safe investments in  the tens of millions. The gap needs filling by venture capital but VCs are always chasing fast growth and a quick sale, not clinical trials and flight testing. American investors and German banks are better, which is why innovation flies abroad.
 
Do you have to deal with deadlines or are you ''free'' with your work? There are no open-ended funds but I can propose delivery dates. Sticking to them is good for the reputation.

What do you plan for the future / what are your new goals?  To see corrupt officials burn in Hell.

Eventually, would you advise students to become scientist? The closer you look, the more there is to see. If you have a hint of skepticism, an ounce of self-confidence, and a ton of curiosity this is the career for you. With any luck you may use science to improve the lives of others: civil engineers save more lives than anyone else on the planet, and doctors and nurses appreciate an occasional improvement in their equipment.

[stu1992dent (OP)]

Thank you for these great answers!

This will help me a lot for my project and it's really interesting to discover such point of view.

I'm also very proud to have answers from someone that I don't directly know and who lives in the UK.

Thank you for the time spent,
Bests regards

[alancalverd]

Just remembered (in the midst of a seminar on the subject!) another ambition: to re-evaluate the relative biological effectiveness of low-energy alpha radiation. This could have a significant effect on several industries from pottery to nuclear fuel reprocessing.