• Question: Do any of you live up to the 'nerdy' stereotype that comes with being a scientist?

    Asked by crouchingmurloc to Ben, Dave, Ed, Sam, Susana on 17 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Benjamin Hall

      Benjamin Hall answered on 17 Jun 2013:

      It depends on what you mean by ‘nerdy’.

      Do I love science way more than the average person loves their job? Yes. It barely feels like work, it feels more like a hobby I’m lucky enough to do full time.

      Am I obsessed with science to the point where it seems socially abnormal? Yes, I am.

      Does that make me nerdy? You tell me… If that’s what makes someone a nerd then I’m proud to be one. Because all it means is that I’m passionate about something and have worked really, really, really hard at it.

      Do I live up to other nerdy stereotypes? Probably not. I don’t like science-fiction, video games or comic books. I like Rugby, going to the gym and surfing.

      There’s nothing wrong with liking those stereotypically ‘nerdy’ things though. Loads of my friends are into science fiction and they’re still great people to be around. I just can’t join in some of their conversations about books they’ve read sometimes.

      If being nerdy means doing well at school, then yes. I’m glad I did, it opened up doors for me later in life.

      Edit: I’ve had another think about this and remembered I have a collection of model aeroplanes I’ve built and an unhealthy obsession with everything to do with Sherlock Holmes. I’m so a nerd.

    • Photo: Sam Horrell

      Sam Horrell answered on 17 Jun 2013:

      Ohh yes, full on comic book collection, sci-fi convention attending nerd right here. But that’s not what being a nerd is about. My favourite description of a nerd has to be this

      “Nerds are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff… Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like jump-up-and-down-in-the-chair-can’t-control-yourself love it. When people call people nerds, mostly what they’re saying is ‘you like stuff.’ Which is just not a good insult at all. Like, ‘you are too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness’.”

      You can be a nerd about anything and that can never be a bad thing.

    • Photo: Ed Lowe

      Ed Lowe answered on 17 Jun 2013:

      Probably – I can be quite unreasonably enthusiastic about science and have been known to make jokes about multi-dimensional symmetry (which I suspect even other nerds would find nerdy) but on the other hand away from science I like cooking, music and sport – so fairly normal stuff that wouldn’t mark me out as a science nerd at 50 paces!

    • Photo: David Briggs

      David Briggs answered on 17 Jun 2013:

      Absolutely! I am nerdy and proud! I love SciFi and gadgets!

      I don’t wear glasses or have mad grey hair though (I don’t have much hair anymore!).

      There’s nothing word with being geeky or nerdy these days!

    • Photo: Susana Teixeira

      Susana Teixeira answered on 18 Jun 2013:

      Here are a few random facts about me, I’ll let you decide…

      I do love Sci-fi, comics, computer games, books and wear glasses most of the time. Throughout high-school I was top of my class, and not very good at gym (I was an ok dancer though). I never liked beer. I used to collect coins and stamps but haven’t looked at either collection in more than 10 years.
      I like music, dance, cooking, a good wine, the smell of the portuguese sea. At University I was an average student and became a keen traveller. I discovered Body-combat while I was in the UK and stuck to it until now. I love cats and dogs. No insects, spiders or snake pets ever. In France I discovered a love for cheese tasting and hiking. Am a terrible skier. I was 30 years old when I got my first mobile phone.

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