Beyond the lab coat - Juris Siliņš (Riga Technical University)

Photos: Juris Siliņš working in the lab; Juris enjoying tea after playing chess.

Did you dream of becoming a scientist as a child?
Yes.  

What do you love most about being a scientist today?
Having a job that feels like a hobby.

What’s one myth about scientists you’d love to bust?
Not all scientists wear glasses and carry around big books.

What’s your favorite non-science hobby?
Chess.

If science were a movie genre, what would it be?
I do not think any movie genre has anything to do with science.

What’s your favorite movie?
“Breakfast at Tiffany's”

What’s your favorite book?
“The Master and Margarita”

What music or song always inspires you?
Classical music, especially Medieval sacred music.

If you weren’t a scientist, what would you be doing today?
I would be trying to become a clinical pharmacist in a psychiatric hospital.

If you could invite any scientist—past or present—to dinner, who would it be?
Nikola Tesla.

Beyond the Lab Coat - Artūrs Ņikuļins (Institute of Electronics and Computer Science)

Pictures: Artūrs in his childhood and at work

Did you dream of becoming a scientist as a child?
I position myself as an artificial intelligence (AI) scientist today, but I did not dream of becoming a scientist as a child. In fact, I never imagined I would work in the AI field. It simply wasn’t a visible or accessible topic during my school years. I was quite good at mathematics and enjoyed physics, but computer science was not my main interest at that time. I liked informatics only slightly. We studied basic concepts such as Microsoft Office and simple algorithms.

I did not grow up dreaming of becoming a scientist; rather, I followed what captured my attention and allowed myself to grow naturally into this path. I tend to go with the flow.

What inspired you to pursue science?
I always knew I would choose something technical, and ideally something with a bit of creativity. I enjoyed listening to music while studying, and that blend of technical focus and creative atmosphere helped shape my preferences. What eventually drew me into AI was the realization of how powerful and diverse it has become - from complex analytical tasks to generating artistic images, composing music, and offering meaningful advice for everyday life. This field is still far from perfect, and that motivates me. I appreciate understanding how these systems work and exploring new research directions.

What do you love most about being a scientist today?
What I love most about being a scientist is the constant need to learn something new. While many fundamental principles remain unchanged, researchers around the world continue to build innovative methods on top of these foundations. Sometimes this process leads to genuinely creative breakthroughs, which makes the field inspiring and dynamic.

I appreciate the pace at which state-of-the-art ideas evolve and the challenge of moving beyond them. Staying updated through research publications and participating in scientific conferences allows me to exchange ideas with scientists from all over the world. This continuous intellectual movement and curiosity-driven progress are what I enjoy the most.

What’s one myth about scientists you’d love to bust?
One myth I would love to bust is the stereotype that all scientists walk around in lab coats and glasses. As a child, that was exactly how I imagined a scientist, but the reality, at least in my field, is quite different. While some laboratories still require that kind of equipment, modern scientific work is much more diverse.

Most of the time, science is more like designing a clear roadmap: analysing a problem, planning a solution, and shaping ideas together with colleagues. The safety glasses usually appear only at the final testing stage - just in case something decides to explode. And if it does, we simply return to planning and refining our ideas as a team.

What’s the weirdest or most unexpected thing you’ve learned in your field?
The most unexpected thing I’ve learned is how many parallels we can draw between artificial intelligence and the human mind. I was genuinely surprised when I discovered that AI can compose music or create artwork. These are abilities we once thought were uniquely human. When we design technology, we often borrow concepts from nature, taking the best ideas we understand and embedding them into our creations.

That is where the parallels become clear: AI systems use attention mechanisms to focus on important details before producing a final decision, and they learn their parameters through experience. In many ways, working with AI is similar to teaching a child - guiding, shaping, and supervising its learning process. It can feel a bit unsettling, but it’s still controllable.

What’s your favorite non-science hobby?
I would say chess. I enjoy board games in general, but chess is one of my favourites. The number of possible positions exceeds the number of atoms in the universe, which means the game can never be fully solved, not by humans and not by AI. It surprises me that modern engines are far stronger than any human player in chess. AI can generalize extremely well and even demonstrate forms of creativity when evaluating positions that have never appeared in any database.

If science were a movie genre, what would it be?
Definitely futuristic science fiction, because science always feels a step ahead of the world around us. Many ideas are still experimental, and some are better kept inside the lab until they mature. And what happens in a scientist’s mind is a story of its own. A mix of creativity, imagining new possibilities, and finding fresh solutions to problems that have existed for decades, often using new tools like AI, which can offer novel approaches and broaden the range of possibilities.

What’s your favourite movie?
I have several favourite movies, both scientific and non-scientific. I usually look for a sense of purpose and adventure, something that resonates emotionally. “Back to the Future” is a great trilogy that I really enjoy, and “The Green Mile” is another film that stayed with me. I also appreciate good comedies, and one of my favourites is the Bollywood film “3 Idiots”, a movie I genuinely recommend.

What’s your favorite book?
As a Latvian, I naturally gravitate toward Latvian literature. These stories are heartfelt, richly written, and I simply enjoy spending time with them. Reading them helps me rest. Works like “Mērnieku laiki” by the Kaudzīte brothers or “Lazdu laipa” by Ilze Indrāne are great examples. I also enjoy the work of the Russian writer Dostoevsky; his books contain deep reflections on human nature. His characters are multifaceted, revealing new psychological depths as the story unfolds.

When it comes to scientific reading, I have trained myself to follow research papers and recent achievements online. Books have a unique atmosphere and emotional depth, so I usually read fiction in book form, while for scientific or technical learning I prefer reading on a computer screen.

What music or song always inspires you?
When I’m working, I especially enjoy slower music, such as blues or classical. I try to maintain a sense of inner calm, which I believe is essential in science. It helps to take the messy, chaotic information from the outside world and transform it into something meaningful and structured.

If you weren’t a scientist, what would you be doing today?
To be honest, it’s difficult for me to give a perfect answer to this question. As I mentioned earlier, I tend to go with the flow and focus on what genuinely interests me. New interests often emerge through the work itself. I enjoy collaborating in a team, but I also value the moments when I can sit alone and just think.

However, if I had to choose an alternative path, I would probably say telecommunications. My bachelor’s degree is in that field, so I could imagine myself working for a company like LMT, which is one of the main mobile phone operators in Latvia.

If you could invite any scientist—past or present—to dinner, who would it be?
I would like to invite a scientist who works in a field I understand less. Quantum mechanics, for example, is an interesting field for me, even though I do not know much about it. I think Richard Feynman would be an ideal guest, because he had a remarkable ability to explain complicated ideas in simple and engaging terms.

Beyond the Lab Coat - Anzelms Zukuls (Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia)

Photos: Anzelms with his colleague performing lemon-battery experiment and Anzelms with kittens

Did you dream of becoming a scientist as a child?
Yes, I dreamed of being a scientist.

What inspired you to pursue science?
The inspiration that drove my curiosity was nanotechnology, with its complex gear systems and innovative perspective.

What do you love most about being a scientist today?
Nowadays, scientists have access to a wide variety of interesting research methods that make our work exciting and allow us to investigate many scientific mysteries.   

What’s one myth about scientists you’d love to bust?
Scientists do not work alone in laboratories. Today, scientific discoveries and growth occur by combining knowledge from different research directions and fields of science. Only a broad view of scientific problems promotes new discoveries.

What’s the weirdest or most unexpected thing you’ve learned in your field?
The strangest and most unexpected thing I've learned in my field is that the same material can have many different uses in everyday situations.

What’s your favorite non-science hobby?
I like hiking and walking in different places, such as swamps, forests, walking trails, and the seashore.

If science were a movie genre, what would it be?
Documentary - due to the number of studies that have to be conducted to find something new and exciting.

What’s your favorite movie?
Interstellar

What’s your favorite book?
Blizard of Souls by Aleksandrs Grīns

What music or song always inspires you?
Trance

If you weren’t a scientist, what would you be doing today?
Engineer in R&D department

If you could invite any scientist—past or present—to dinner, who would it be?
Dr. Michio Kaku

Beyond the Lab Coat - Dr. Miguel Ramírez-González (ZHAW, Switzerland)

Photo: Dr. Miguel Ramírez-González in childhood and now

Did you dream of becoming a scientist as a child?
No at all. As far as I remember, I was mainly focused on the present time. However, I can say that the thought of becoming a medical doctor once crossed my mind. But it was not necessarily a dream job.

What inspired you to pursue science?
I think it was during the time I was working on my bachelor's thesis at a research center in Mexico (Electric Research Institute). Contact and interaction with researchers, whether at the MSc or PhD level, further sparked my curiosity about pursuing postgraduate studies. Probably, this curiosity for science was already inside me as a child because my father is an electrician. I remember that I used to accompany him when he had to do some electrical installation. So, somehow, I wanted to be able to know how he did these things.

What do you love most about being a scientist today?
Well, I can say it is always about learning more. One can probably solve a small problem just to realize that there are many bigger ones to solve.

What’s one myth about scientists you’d love to bust?
Well, maybe people can say that scientists lack flexibility because they are rigid, logical thinkers with no creativity at all. However, solving a problem may require a lot of flexibility, creativity, and imagination to explore a world of possibilities and see what is not evident at all.

What’s the weirdest or most unexpected thing you’ve learned in your field?
Mmhhhh, I don’t think that it is weird or unexpected. But, in general, whenever I have trouble trying to solve something, the best thing to do is to stop thinking about it for maybe one day. Then, by retaking the problem after this break, something comes to mind that helps me get out of the hole I was in. This has happened to me many times.

What’s your favorite non-science hobby?
I like running. So, I have participated in several 5 km and 10 km races.

If science were a movie genre, what would it be?
I think it would be a combination of action (lots of chases and fights), comedy (provoking humor and laughter), drama (due to emotional conflicts), terror (capable of generating fear, tension, and shocks), and suspense (a lot of intrigue). One thing is for sure: the happy ending is not guaranteed.

What’s your favorite movie?
I guess I don’t have a favorite movie, but I enjoy a lot of action films.

What’s your favorite book?
Probably, “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho.

What music or song always inspires you?
Probably no particular song. Sometimes I like listening to instrumental music to relax a little bit.

If you weren’t a scientist, what would you be doing today?
Good question. I have no idea.

If you could invite any scientist—past or present—to dinner, who would it be?
Probably Albert Einstein. Don’t ask me why.

Beyond the Lab Coat - Emiliana Fabbri (Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland)

Emiliana in childhood and now - co-leading the Electrocatalysis and Interface group at the Electrochemistry Laboratory of the Paul Scherrer Institute.

Did you dream of becoming a scientist as a child?
Not really. As a child, I dreamed of many different careers, ranging from writer to veterinarian or even horse rider. My favorite subjects in high school were literature and philosophy. However, I was also strong in chemistry and mathematics, and I always wanted to contribute to a more sustainable world.

For this reason, I studied Materials Science, and during my PhD and postdoctoral journey, I had the opportunity to work in different countries, including the USA and Japan. Over time, reading became my hobby, and science became my profession (but somehow also my hobby!).  

What inspired you to pursue science?
I studied Materials science because one of my favorite books as a child was “The Big Book of Why?” I was always fascinated by why different materials have the properties they do. Why is something red and not blue? So now I look at the electronic and local structure of materials to understand why some materials are good at converting energy into hydrogen, and use this understanding to develop more efficient and sustainable materials for hydrogen production.

What do you love most about being a scientist today?
Changing our energy system is possible, and contributing to that change is a duty and an honor. Fundamental science done at PSI can greatly contribute to more sustainable technologies, such as fuel cells and electrolyzers. In addition, supporting the new generation of scientists is crucial to this transformation.   

What’s one myth about scientists you’d love to bust?
People usually see the successful results, like developing efficient water-splitting materials, but behind that are many failed attempts. Each failure teaches us something new and brings us closer to the final breakthrough.

What’s your favorite non-science hobby?
Considering that my new group leader position involves a lot of desk work, I now really enjoy spending time working in my garden and walking in nature.

If science were a movie genre, what would it be?
For sure, science fiction!

What’s your favorite movie?
It’s impossible to choose only one!

What’s your favorite book?
It’s impossible to choose only one!

What music or song always inspires you?
I love a multidisciplinary approach, and the same applies to music—I enjoy many different styles and genres.

If you weren’t a scientist, what would you be doing today?
Writer, philosopher, journalist… There are so many possibilities that I would truly love to become.

If you could invite any scientist—past or present—to dinner, who would it be?
Marie Skłodowska-Curie.

Beyond the Lab Coat - Mairis Iesalnieks (Riga Technical University)

Did you dream of becoming a scientist as a child?
As unusual as it sounds, I never really had a dream profession. I was always passionate about learning and enjoyed discovering new things. I was always bored in school, so I looked for ways to entertain myself.

What inspired you to pursue science?
I would say that my chemistry teacher was always passionate about chemistry, and she really inspired me to pursue a career, initially not in science, but at least in chemistry first.

What do you love most about being a scientist today?
A lack of routine means you are always doing something new and trying different things to achieve a goal. You must be creative sometimes.

What’s one myth about scientists you’d love to bust?
That all scientists wear white coats and do things nobody is interested in. From the outside, our work may seem useless, but with science, you never know where it can lead; one small deviation from the course can result in a highly beneficial discovery.

What’s the weirdest or most unexpected thing you’ve learned in your field?
Nothing is fixed, everything changes constantly, and it's very easy to be left behind.

What’s your favourite non-science hobby?
I really enjoy travelling. I think visiting new places helps you look at the world with a different perspective, allowing you to widen your horizon and accept things from a new viewpoint.

If science were a movie genre, what would it be?
I think the most suitable genre would be a fantasy movie. You never know where you can end up; the journey is unpredictable, sometimes dangerous, but the finality is always something breathtaking.

What’s your favourite movie?
I like the Harry Potter series. I always enjoyed the mystical aspect of it. Who knows? Maybe because of that, I like science; you can never be sure what to expect.

What’s your favourite book?
I don’t really have one favourite book, but I really enjoy travel descriptions. You can travel with the author to the new and unseen locations without leaving the room.

Beyond the Lab Coat - Antons Hančevskis (Institute of Electronics and Computer Science)

Did you dream of becoming a scientist as a child? If not, what was your childhood dream job?
To be honest, I didn’t dream of becoming a part of the scientific world; I was much more focused on something in engineering or management. For a long time, I wasn’t even aware of the scale of the scientific community in Latvia or how developed it actually is. However, since joining the LACISE research team, I’ve been discovering this world and diving deeper into it every day.

What inspired you to pursue science?
My primary drive came from a desire to delve deeper into Energy Systems and science itself. The turning point was when Anna Mutule, my professor at Riga Technical University (and supervisor for both my Bachelor’s and Master’s theses and upcoming PhD thesis), offered me a fantastic opportunity to join the LACISE project alongside a team of scientists from FEI (Institute of Physical Energetics) and EDI (Institute of Electronics and Computer Science). It was an opportunity I couldn't refuse.

What do you love most about being a scientist today?
As a relative newcomer to science, what I value most is the community. I love meeting people who have been in research for a long time, learning from them, and listening to stories about the various projects they’ve worked on. It is incredibly inspiring and constantly gives me new ideas about what I could be a part of in the future.

What’s one myth about scientists you’d love to bust?
I haven’t collected enough myths to bust just yet! But I’m keeping my ears open and hope to identify a few good ones in the near future.

What’s the weirdest or most unexpected thing you’ve learned in your field?
I was surprised by the paradox of collaboration. I’ve learned how difficult it can be to gather information and initiate cooperation with stakeholders in the field—even when they are interested and would clearly benefit from it. Convincing people to take that first step and actually start working together is often harder than the technical work itself.

What’s your favourite non-science hobby?
I really enjoy skiing. Every year, I try to travel to the Alps with my family. For me, that is the ultimate holiday—it’s the one place and activity where my body and soul can recharge to the maximum.

If science were a movie genre, what would it be?
Science Fiction, without a doubt. Most things we see in Sci-Fi films eventually come to life. And if they haven't yet, it probably just means it’s too early, and we need to wait a bit longer for the technology to catch up.

What’s your favourite movie?
The Devil Wears Prada. It’s a nice, light movie with a good storyline and brilliant acting. Also, the music there is great.

What’s your favourite book?
I wouldn’t say I have a single favourite book, but I thoroughly enjoyed Theodore Dreiser's novel The Financier. It tells the story of a financial genius and captures the intense atmosphere of the business world, ambition, and the complex psychology behind success and power.

What music or song always inspires you?
I really enjoy Ozzy Osbourne. His music holds a massive amount of energy that always gets me going.

If you weren’t a scientist, what would you be doing today?
That is an easy one to answer because I am doing it alongside research. Outside of science, I work as an Electrical Engineer and the Head of the Technical Department at a firm. We manufacture low-voltage power distribution and automation panels, and design and assemble busbar systems for data centres and industrial buildings.

If you could invite any scientist—past or present—to dinner, who would it be?
I would be very happy to have dinner with Ferdinand Porsche. While he might not be strictly labeled a "scientist" in the academic sense, he was a genius engineer and a true pioneer in the automotive industry.

Beyond the Lab Coat - Ainārs Knoks (Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia)

Did you dream of becoming a scientist as a child?
I didn't dream of being a scientist because I had no idea that it was an option. But I had a lot of curiosity.

What inspired you to pursue science?
My teachers in school helped me to have the courage to try.

What do you love most about being a scientist today?
I enjoy investigating how reality emerges and is expressed.

What’s one myth about scientists you’d love to bust?
That science is deterministic and final. There are many unknowns, and we have only models (assumptions) of how things "work"; science is the process of investigation rather than a final destination.

What’s the weirdest or most unexpected thing you’ve learned in your field?
The most important part of good science and interesting discoveries is a good team; people are the most important investment/value.

What’s your favorite non-science hobby?
Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA)/ Reconstruction, which involves swords, armor, and fighting/fencing.  

If science were a movie genre, what would it be?
It would have somewhat individual genre mixing sci-fi, documentaries, reality TV, with a sprinkle of psychedelics.

What’s your favorite movie?
Jawan

What’s your favorite book?
The Hobbit

What music or song always inspires you?
That depends on the task at hand. But I always enjoy Heavy or Hardcore Metal with some growling or excellent vocals (Slaughter to Prevail, Lamb of God, Disturbed, Paleface Swiss, Slipknot, etc.).

If you weren’t a scientist, what would you be doing today?
Honestly, it's hard to imagine myself as anything else, but if I had to choose, I would be either a Viking or an engineer.

If you could invite any scientist—past or present—to dinner, who would it be?
Nicola Tesla or Richard Feynman could be very interesting to talk to.