Beyond the Lab Coat - Andrew Cook (Beneq)
Did you
dream of becoming a scientist as a child?
I have
always had an interest in how things work and an enquiring scientific
curiosity. Since the age of 12, I wanted to become a PhD in science, and I was
most interested in Chemistry. And at the age of 27 I realised that goal when I
got my PhD from the Department of Chemistry at Aberdeen University.
What
inspired you to pursue science?
What
inspired me to pursue science was a search for answers to questions about how
things worked, and also my enjoyment of science fiction TV shows and movies.
What do
you love most about being a scientist today?
What I love
most about being a scientist is that there are days when you are presented with
a challenging problem and it is the process of find a solution or a range of
solutions to solve that problem. I have had many different jobs in science
during my career from Academia (as a postdoctoral researcher) to working in
Industry. Each of these has given me a new and interesting challenge to
overcome.
What’s
one myth about scientists you’d love to bust?
Is it
possible to travel to a planet in another solar system.
What’s
the weirdest or most unexpected thing you’ve learned in your field?
I’ve learnt
to expect the unexpected, if something can go wrong it will, if something
unusual will happen it probably will. It is our ability to adapt and come up
with new solutions to these unexpected events which drives science forward.
What’s
your favorite non-science hobby?
My main
non-science based hobby is golf, I try to play at least once a week (I’m still
not very good 😉)
If
science were a movie genre, what would your research be? (e.g., thriller,
comedy, sci-fi...)
If science
were a movie genre, it would definitely be a comedy because if it can go wrong
it will.
What is
your favourite movie?
I have many
many favourite movies, but I would probably have to say the original 1977
release of Star Wars: A New Hope (but really any of the original trilogy). I do
enjoy most science fiction/fantasy films, such as the Marvel, Harry Potter,
Star Trek series of movies.
What's
your favourite book?
Again as
with movies, I have many many favourite books by authors such as Stephen King
(Firestarter being one of his best), Roald Dahl (Revolting Rhymes again being a
favourite), Simon Scarrow (Eagles of Empire book series about roman legionaries
in Roman Britain) as well as the Harry Potter Book series and the Hitchhikers
Guide to the Galaxy books to name a few.