Top 10 Types of People in the Scientific Community

These are the people who flip out if they see a minor anomaly in their perfectly pictured world. This can happen in theoretical or experimental research, when they say things like, "Do you have ANY IDEA what a thermoresistor is?!" or "The next conference should be in Birmingham because I live there. Even though we don't have the experimental facilities, life is easier for me, so it's that or suffer my wrath!"

Outside of work, they might yell at you for something as minor as how you hold your dog's leash: "A leash should be held with your thumb supporting the tension of the thread, with your forefinger forming a clamp. Good God, how are you allowed to own a dog?!" If you question them, you're in for their life story about why they're the most important person ever, detailing how they graduated from a world-renowned university and beat their parents at chess at age three, but never actually relating to the matter at hand. You have been warned, my more modest aspiring scientists.

Now, here's a character who seems photoshopped into our world by a drunk ape. They think they have a way with everyone around them, but it's easy to get creeped out by them. Their skills lie heavily in science, but when it comes to interacting with others, it can involve compliments like, "I'm sure you're flattered by the fact that you look like a radish."

They have such a unique level of social skills that any girl who is nice to them is often mistaken for "the one." So be prepared for this guy to follow you everywhere. There's a lot more of these people in the scientific community than you might think, and I really pity them.

I've had the misfortune of sitting through a talk where I was the only person not under this category. I suffered through an hour-long, mind-numbingly tedious lecture about symmetry in chemical molecules. Before you think it's anything advanced, the largest word the guy used was "molecule." The thing that boggled my mind the most was how these people sat there in awe of the fact that rotating a benzene ring by 60 degrees looks the same.

It was like being in kindergarten, but these highly educated students of the sciences were loving it. As I was leaving, the lecturer mentioned a national competition for this topic, which only the most advanced and motivated people could enter. "Oh, boy, I'd LOVE to!" I thought to myself, "but the taster you just gave me almost made me want to drink drain cleaner."

Not something you'd rationally expect from the scientific community, but there are people who make the most ridiculous proposals, which every respectable scientist laughs about and shares with their non-scientist friends for a laugh. I've seen entire papers with ideas proposing to place an object at the focal point of two lenses to make it invisible. Have these people never heard of a telescope?!

This is the person in the research team who most likely got their PhD through a series of flukes and is prone to making entire projects crumble under their influence. They could let a reactor destroy itself, drop a sample down the drain, spend research money on a holiday home, or even sell out the grant itself. They'll eventually find a way. It's just too bad they're so unpredictable.

It's not surprising that scientists take their work seriously, but some take it too seriously. I picture them as people who would need a full 50-year research construction to understand fun, because they are too focused on everything being pitch-perfect to work on anything else. They share many traits with Dr. "I Know What's Best."

"Look at me, world! My name's on this review letter, meaning that I contributed immensely by taking everyone's Starbucks orders! There are pictures of me sitting at a computer in our records, and of course, they're pictures of me working, and definitely NOT looking at inappropriate websites, because I'm a scientist!"

I like to think I fall under this category. I spread the word to everyone who'll listen that science is fantastic, and I pursue problems through to the end, not leaving things I enjoy unfinished. I don't just state what science does. I make my explanations dynamic and fluid, like fluid dynamics (see what I did there).

I do my best to inspire people to pursue science because there's no denying that it's incredible. As you dig further in, it becomes even more fascinating, with discoveries being made all the time. With that being said, it's your choice, people. The opportunities in science are vast.

Someone who just can't wait to tell you his awful new physics pun or prank you in the best way possible, maybe with helium, or something as low-key as a whoopee cushion.

Why can't you trust an atom? Because they make up everything! Aha, get it?

It should be so much fun working with this type! Haha!

This is the person who knows everything there is to know about science.

You'd be lucky never to end up in an argument with this guy. These types of people just act like jerks for no reason and would even go to extreme lengths to get what they want.