Question: How did you come up with the idea of becoming a palaeontologist?

Liam Herringshaw answered on 30 Jan 2024:

I wanted to be David Attenborough when I was a kid. I probably still do. He loved fossils, so that might have rubbed off on me. It helps that we both grew up in Leicester, where there are some amazing fossils to find. I didn’t think I would be a palaeontologist though. It was only after I’d been to university that I began to realise it was a job you could do, and it’s only in the last ten years or so that I’ve made it work. I’ve learnt enough skills and gained enough knowledge that I can now help schools, families and the general public learn about fossils, how to find them, and what they tell us. There are probably more professional footballers in the UK than there are professional palaeontologists, but – just like football – lots of people do palaeontology for fun too. The more you enjoy something, the more likely you are to stick with it.