A first isn’t all people look for...
Lord Winston wants other human values as well as a first
It’s exam season. Everyone at Imperial is slaving away behind a desk, energy drink of choice in hand. It’s the time of year when finding a spare computer in the Library is enough to make you ecstatic, and noticing it’s not free and someone is using the classic penny in the arrow key trick will send you into despair. So perhaps it’s not the best time to betold that getting a first isn’t all there is to life.
In a letter to The Times, Professor Lord Robert Winston said that “Scientists are best not appointed purely on the basis of whether they had first-class degrees; other human values are important.” He went on to say: “Successful laboratories tend to be most effectively run with a happy collaborative team, essential in almost all science. Good degrees are important but they are not the only measure of success.” Lord Winston wanted to explain to those who aspire to a science degree that science is not “harder” than other academic subject. The letter was clarifying what he meant when sources reported a conversation that took place during a school visit.
Lord Winston is currently a Professor of Science and Society and Emeritus Professor of Fertility Studies at Imperial College London. He is mostly known for his work in science communication, including his recent series Child of our Time.
