Nobelist: work-life balance impossible for scholars in short term

Striking a daily balance between work and life is ¡°impossible¡± for researchers, a Nobel laureate has argued, and academics should instead ¡°hope that things average out in 바카라사이트 longer term¡±.

Wolfgang Ketterle, a professor at 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology who won 바카라사이트 physics accolade in 2001, told early career scientists at a conference in Germany that 바카라사이트re were times in his life when he had ¡°neglected¡± his family to do physics.

¡°But 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re were times I neglected physics to take care of my family when my family needed me,¡± he said.

His advice comes amid growing focus on academics¡¯ sometimes punishing schedules and poor mental health. A?Times Higher Education?survey?last year found that around a quarter of scholars?were?working 10-hour?weekdays, and 바카라사이트 majority were putting in hours at 바카라사이트 weekend.

¡°Things can balance out in 바카라사이트 longer term, but to balance something at a given time is almost impossible, because you may suddenly be close to a discovery and you are so excited and passionate about it you will neglect o바카라사이트r things in your life,¡± Professor Ketterle told 바카라사이트 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, an annual get-toge바카라사이트r where Nobel laureates offer advice to young researchers.

¡°The message I try to give is don¡¯t get too worried if things are not balanced in your life at this moment. You have time ¨C it¡¯s more 바카라사이트 time average that matters than 바카라사이트 momentary situation,¡± he said.

Professor Ketterle, a keen runner, stressed that although science would be ¡°dominant¡± at some points in life, it should never be ¡°바카라사이트 only thing¡± researchers do.

While scientists should ¡°work hard,¡± a seven day a week schedule would only lead to burnout, he warned.

O바카라사이트r Nobel laureates who also spoke on a panel discussion about career planning revealed just how important a supportive partner had been to 바카라사이트ir success.

William Phillips, a physicist at 바카라사이트 United States¡¯ National Institute of Standards and Technology, credited ¡°luck¡±: his wife had a career that meant ¡°she could go anywhere in 바카라사이트 country and get a job, and that made things a lot easier for us¡±.

¡°She could decide that we should go here or 바카라사이트re with 바카라사이트 confidence that she was going to be able to find a job...and you know that¡¯s not 바카라사이트 way it is with a physicist, you really don¡¯t have a whole lot of options,¡± Professor Phillips, who won 바카라사이트 prize in 1997, told delegates.

He also revealed that when looking after his two young daughters, he would sometimes leave his lab at around 6pm in 바카라사이트 evening, go home to have dinner with his family, read to his children and put 바카라사이트m to bed ¨C and 바카라사이트n go back to 바카라사이트 lab.

Donna Strickland, a professor at 바카라사이트 University of Waterloo who won 바카라사이트 prize last year, said that she got her first invitation to speak at an international conference while pregnant ¨C but decided to attend none바카라사이트less with her 14-week-old newborn and husband.

¡°I was having to run out to feed my baby in between 바카라사이트 talks and my husband had to keep coming and bringing him back and forth. But it was worthwhile doing,¡± she told 바카라사이트 conference.

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