Pain, tedium, danger, disgust, and humiliation are all part of the average workday for the (often proud, more often smelly) members of Popular Science's third annual honor roll of the Worst Jobs in Science. This year's winners ... or perhaps losers ... include:
- Orangutan-Pee Collector -- analyzing fertility through estrogen and progesterone levels, and weight gain or loss through ketone measurements
- NASA Ballerina -- dancing to test a supersensitive robot
- Do-Gooder -- volunteers sign up with the Earthwatch institute to go to some of the most inhospitable places on the planet
- Semen Washer -- spining sperm samples in a centrifuge to separate the plasma from the motile cells
- Volcanologist -- going into active volcanoes is one of the most dangerous jobs science has to offer
- Nuclear-Weapons Scientist -- having all your work classified means endless hassles and little credit
- Extremophile Excavator -- to harvest microbes that thrive in bizarre (and smelly) environments, you first have to go there
- Kansas Biology Teacher -- dealing with the Intelligent Design battle on the front lines
- Manure Inspector -- analyzing fertilizier is an important job, but the smell doesn't leave when you go home
- Human Lab Rat -- risking your life and health for science, the pesticide industry, and a little bit of cash
