What is it like being a scientist?
For me being a scientist feels like being an eternal student. There is always so much to learn and discover from the people around me and by myself. The most appealing thing to me is the excitement of the ongoing happening - meeting many new people, exchanging ideas with them, and getting to visit new places. Everything is so dynamic!
What inspired you to become a scientist?
I was attracted to mathematics from young age. Going to a weekly after-school class had shown me some beautiful mathematics. I was solving math riddles and got very excited when I managed to produce something of my own.
What is the best thing about being a scientist/ your job?
I like the versatility of being a scientist. There is so much to do – Either just sitting with a pencil and a paper and trying to figure out some problem, or programming a computer simulation for it. Even better is to present my problem to people and hearing ideas. There are numerous possibilities to interact with people, starting from colleagues and experts in the field and going on to students whom I teach.
What do you do in your free time?
- Read books
- Watch a Simpsons episode with my partner
- Enjoy some good theatre
- Hike and travel
What is the first science you remember doing?
Solving math riddles in an after-school class on my third grade.
What advice would you give a school child who is interested in science?
- If you’re interested in science – try to find how you can learn more. Use the internet, friends, and any people around you who can help.
- Dare to dream – dream that you are the next Einstein, that the current formula that you’ve discovered is brand new and yet unknown.
- I would make non-scientists interested in my work by making them active. Starting to tell them the story of what I’m doing, but before I find myself giving long monologues, I’ll start asking them questions and riddles, letting them seek by themselves solutions to my questions, even if these are just guesses or guts fillings. I will also let them try some hands on experiments and related activities.
What’s the funniest/strangest/most surprising experience you have had in your career?
I was telling the crown princess of Sweden about my research – asking her whether she could guess the shape of a drum with her eyes shut. I was doing so with my most casual clothes after losing my suitcase over a long night flight :+(
What discovery or invention could you really not live without?
The wheel – it seems like so much depends on it :+) I find it quite depressing when I have to stay in one place for too long. Travelling and moving around preserve my vitality.