Combined Wisdom

Over the past year, the editorial team has had the pleasure – and honor – of interviewing gifted, inspiring, and often humble analytical scientists. I decided that the final issue of the year was a great time to share their thoughts rather than mine...

1. “Chromatographers are not magicians and separations do not happen by magic (although it sometimes seems like they do)! In reality, you need to understand what you are looking for, which is why it is so important to teach basic concepts.” Carlo Bicchi https://theanalyticalscientist.com/issues/0116/applying-the-basics/ 
   
   
2. “Who says you can’t have fundamental and applied science working together? The one cannot exist without the other!” Lutgarde Buydenshttps://theanalyticalscientist.com/issues/0216/defying-the-data-tsunami/
   
    
3. “I’m helping humanity in some way, and there’s no greater goal.” Waseem Asghar https://theanalyticalscientist.com/issues/0316/bioengineered-humanity/ 
   
   
4. “What questions are compelling in other fields, and how can you contribute? That’s how to stay excited and engaged.” Frank Brighthttps://theanalyticalscientist.com/issues/0416/drawn-to-the-light/ 
   
   
5. “A lot of my ideas come from keeping my eyes open to what’s really happening in the chemistry, and not taking as gospel what people think about a particular system. People can sometimes make the mistake of turning speculation into fact...” Chris Pohl https://theanalyticalscientist.com/issues/0516/ion-legend/ 
   
   
6. “I’m not a biologist and a biologist is not an analytical chemist – and we might both need informatics support. In other words, we need to work together. Modern science is very much a team game.” Jessica Prennihttps://theanalyticalscientist.com/issues/0616/core-collaborator/ 
   
   
7. “Life will take you where you do not expect. Take advantage of what you have when you have it.” Gary Christianhttps://theanalyticalscientist.com/issues/0716/going-with-the-flow/ 
   
   
8. “We take our analytical equipment (often instrumentation we have developed ourselves) to the museum, and we really get up close with masterpieces – normally, you are not allowed to touch!” Koen Janssenshttps://theanalyticalscientist.com/issues/0816/x-ray-visionary/ 
   
   
9. “The feeling that you reached a new level of understanding – that excites me very much. It’s a little bit like being the first man on the moon.” Albert Heck https://theanalyticalscientist.com/issues/0916/protein-protagonist/ 
   
   
10. “How can we measure tiny quantities, in real time, in complex biological systems? It’s incredibly challenging, but if we can develop the right tools, a whole new world of opportunities opens up in terms of what we can understand about the world around us.” Emily Hilder https://theanalyticalscientist.com/issues/1016/directing-the-future/ 
    
    
11. “Some professors don’t want their students delaying their research by working in industry for the summer – they should stay in the lab, doing basic research! Eighty percent of PhD students in the USA go into industry, yet 90 percent of grad students are taught that they should become academics. There’s something wrong there.” Harold McNairhttps://theanalyticalscientist.com/issues/1116/writing-the-book-on-gc-and-living-life/ 
    
    
    
12. “As a community, we need to invest more in the education of our students; they need to be free enough – financially and emotionally – to do the crazy stuff.” Sarah Trimpin https://theanalyticalscientist.com/issues/1216/enlightened-empowered-the-ion-magician/

Best wishes for the New Year!

Rich Whitworth

Editor