Last week I had the pleasure of attending a science festival in which some amazing individuals shared their work and thoughts to an audience of proud science geeks. I found each talk so inspiring and it has prompted me to think even more about the broad range of career options available in clinical, laboratory and other environments.
The positive events that transpired at the science festival also led to a change in perspective. I spoke in a video on my YouTube channel entitled My Route to University (Being a ‘Mature’ Med Sciences Student) about my unconventional route to university that involved one or two unexpected turns along the way. I stated that those unexpected turns prompted me to turn my attention away from things that don’t warrant such attention and instead focus on the important things in life.
This aforementioned change in perspective was encouraged further by watching and being around individuals who were all united by their love of science. This mutually profound appreciation seemed to create such a relaxed environment in which everyone could be themselves. I remember entering a venue for one of the talks at the festival and whilst awaiting the arrival of the speaker everyone in the crowd was engaged in pleasant conversation: with those they knew and those they previously didn’t. It seemed that across the room conversations were initially started between friends and acquaintances, but then others joined in a discussion about the topic of the talk they were about to witness or about something else at the festival or perhaps a recent development in a scientific field. You could walk into a room as strangers and walk out as friends (possibly to a pub).
So where do these sociable occurrences fit in with the title and purpose of this post? Well let’s revisit the idea of focusing on the important things in life. When I was younger I use to be so preoccupied with small things that didn’t really matter meaning I probably wasn’t making the most of the pleasant events that I was fortunate enough to be part of. (The idiom ‘take some time to smell the roses’ springs to mind.) I found myself reflecting too much on things such as missed opportunities, challenging situations and embarrassing occasions where I found myself uttering completely incoherent statements because my brain was on its lunch break.
However, when I was at the science festival I found I paid more attention to my surroundings and being one of the participants in informative, yet relaxed discussions: about algorithms, the teleportation of particles and the origins of human kind. (Variety is always guaranteed in science.) The only time I thought about the past was when considering the early examples of human-made art which are used as possible indicators for how long we have been on Earth. The utterance of incoherent statements turned into slightly quirky quips to ensure my contribution was as funny and accurate as possible.
The experience of being in a relaxed and welcoming environment at the science festival allowed me to engage with the present and not ruminate about life events gone-by. The opportunity to engage with others who shared the same appreciation and fascination with the universe, medicine and our interactions with technology (just to name a few) was not only gratifying from a ‘career perspective’ (I know how cliché that sounds), but it also encouraged a more positive outlook from a personal perspective. It was an occasion in which individuals were bonded together by their love of science.
Science and Joe 