Interview with Dr. Noémie Becker
LMU Munich
Soapbox: Did you choose a scientific career or did the scientific career choose you?
Noémie Becker: Actually, I found recently at my parent’s place an interview that I had given just before finishing highschool. It was from a local journal that was interviewing randomly picked pupils that were about to get their final highschool degree (Baccalaureat in France) and were asked about their future, their projects … And I already had answered that I wanted to do research. So I think I chose this career very consciously even if I did not remember before finding this old article!
SB: What was the key moment that brought you to the place where you are today?
NB: No real key moment. Just being at the right place at the right moment. Or maybe not so right because being a scientist is not always that easy!
SB: What is your scientific superhero power? Or what superhero would you be?
NB: Multitasking. Currently I am stuck at home because of Covid-19 epidemics. This morning I did my own stuff (writing an application) while supervising my students online and my kids at home who were spreading flour all over the place as part of a crafting session organized via Skype by my sister. So what I would like to be as a superhero would be the goddess Shiva with her many arms (and a second brain could help as well).
SB: What is the most exciting aspect of your research?
NB: Variety and novelty! I also love these moments when you suddenly have the feeling that what you just found could really be meaningful. They are quite rare but they can happen at any moment and this is what is exciting.
SB: If you were stranded on a desert island, what scientific equipment would you bring with you?
NB: The first thing that comes to my mind is a good pair of shoes. Because fieldwork usually involves a lot of walking.
SB: What challenges do you encounter in science?
NB: A scientific career is nothing but a succession of challenges: getting a PhD position, getting your articles accepted, getting a postdoc position, getting a grant accepted, getting a senior position… And at each step you need to be “excellent”; this is how most programs are called and being “very good” is not enough. It is a lot of pressure.
SB: What motivates you to give a talk in Soapbox Science?
NB: I love talking about my research. I love being asked silly questions that end up being brillant new ideas. I also love being on stage.
SB: Do you have a few words to inspire other women or young scientists?
NB: Have a beauti-full life besides your work. Do not postpone family plans because of science. It might not make your career easier but it will be so important when you will have more difficult moments.
Hum maybe not so inspiring after all but I prefer being realistic here. As a mother of three, I know how difficult a scientific career can be as a woman. But I also know that it is worth trying!
SB: In these quarantine days, what funny/interesting experiments, books, talks or podcast can you recommend to our audience?
NB: As I have my three kids at home I don´t have a lot of time for reading or podcasts but I have live experiments about social interactions to observe all the time. This would be my advice: take this time to observe : nature, people, yourself, everything… No need to be a scientist to study your environment.
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