Why do these people think scientists do what they do?? Personally as a lab technician in a pollinator lab I have to spend several months a year doing some pretty taxing fieldwork. We actually just got done with our summer season in June. Lemme say it was Hot. We spend basically an entire work day out in the sun and a significant number of those days were over 100*F. And for fieldwork we’re trying to capture a specific phenology, so we’re trying to sample all our sites before the phenology goes from pretty summer blooms to just dead, dry crunchy plants. So we work weekends and all to pack it all in to a more condensed timeframe. And when we get back to the lab it’s a lot of mind-numbing repetitive tasks: like entering data from paper into a digital spreadsheet, preparing insect specimens, cutting literally thousands of tiny labels to put on the specimens, etc. Not to mention we’re paid pretty low, especially compared to other professions who use coding/data management skills with companies like Google who get paid way more for way cushier work.

But people endure because as mind numbing as lab work can be, you analyze and learn amazing things from it and it clears data out in prep for another field season. As rough as fieldwork can be I’m literally being paid to frolic in some flowers, counting them, and catching pollinators for sampling. When I was little I spent most of my time outside catching bugs and I never dreamed it could some day be my job. On top of that, my research is based in conservation. So we’re working to try and preserve insects for ourselves and future generations.

Even if someone wasn’t born passionate about a specific topic I’m of the opinion that once you learn enough about something it’s impossible to not fall in love with it (or at least become empathetic to it). Scientists don’t overlook how stinkin cute Megachilid bees are with their fluffy bellies and only see the evolutionary reason why it came to be that way. They study pollinator efficacy and learn about its intricacies and as a treat get to look at all the cute fluffy little rectangular leaf cutter bees they want. I think scientists are some of the most passionate people. You’ve gotta be to throw yourself at one specific topic for years at a time.