Dr. Brian Keating

Yeah, well, I mean, I have to say that my first point of contact with everything you're saying is out of a sense of simple decency and morality and obligations.

I think, you know, once I heard a statement that it was great that we had, you know, the Statue of Liberty and the Bill of Rights in America, but we should have a Statue of Responsibility in

and the bill of responsibility.

In other words, we focus so much on what we're entitled to, what we deserve, whether because we're smart or good looking or both in both of our cases, right?

But if we had this ability as if it's given to us preordained as an entitlement, and I've never felt that way.

I feel like I'm so privileged to be a scientist.

I work at a public university in the state of California, UC San Diego.

I went to public schools my whole life.

And, you know, so I believe that the public is my boss.

I believe that, you know, you pay your taxes, hopefully everybody out there.

And if you don't, I don't want to know about it right now, but we'll expect a letter from the Internal Revenue Service.

But the the fact that you guys pay your taxes and some of that, not much, you know, especially in the state of California.

You know, I'm a public employee.

You know, it's not a huge amount, but but we do get paid and we get paid to do what we would do for free.

The dirty little secret of scientists, whenever they whine, I always say, well, why don't you get a real job?

You know, jokingly, I mean, I do feel like I have a real job I've taught, you know.

20 people to get PhDs.

I've taught 2,000 or 3,000 undergraduate students.

I've written 800 letters of recommendation to get jobs for my students.

But the bottom line is that we are paid to do something most of us would do for free.