Dave wants to know whether we biologists have physics envy, as the physicists often claim. I'm quite happy being a biologist and I wouldn't want to study physics, but there are certain skill sets I wish I had. My envy is not for the questions other fields address, but for the tools other people in my field have at their disposal.
Enough with the foreplay; here are my answers to Dave's three questions:
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What's your current scientific specialty?
Evolutionary genetics, in general. Specifically, the molecular biology and evolutionary dynamics of genomes.
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Were you originally pursuing a different academic course? If so, what was it?
Ever since I arrived at college, I have been a biologist. I've been dead set on evolutionary genetics since my second year of undergrad.
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Do you happen to wish you were involved in another scientific field? If so, what one?
I'm peachy keen with the field I'm in, but I'm envious of all the kids who can write good code and solve partial differential equations.
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As a math/CS person, I find myself with the opposite problem. Often times I'll look at bio and bio-related course materials and be astounded at the amount of nomenclature it's students have to memorize. Such is a vastly underrated skill, IMO.
I hated that shit too, Tyler. That's why I don't do biochemistry or developmental biology.
I've got Math & CS envy too.
I hated all that memorization stuff.