I’ve just returned from a two-week trip to Australia to scout out stories on the state of research in the country. We’re planning to run a special issue about Australia science early next year so you can read about it in detail then, but one thing I can tell you is I have never met a bunch of people who take more pride in their country.<\/p>\n
Almost every scientist I spoke to had trained abroad and they all said they couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. They could go on \u2014 and do \u2014 for hours about the marvelous lifestyle. Despite the lack of jobs for young scientists, postdocs come back to Australia for the 9-to-5 days, the slower pace, the lack of intense competition all around them.<\/p>\n
There’s no doubt that despite this lack of intensity, Australia does produce some world-class science. But here’s my question for you: Is it possible for scientists to lead this kind of laidback lifestyle and still stay competitive? Or would Australia be a much bigger contender in science if its researchers burned the midnight oil like their American and European counterparts do?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I\u2019ve just returned from a two-week trip to Australia to scout out stories on the state of research in the country. We\u2019re planning to run a special issue about Australia science early next year so you can read about it in detail then, but one thing I can tell you is I have never met a bunch of people who take more pride in their country. Read more<\/a> Continue reading