Profession: Scientist

Number of times previously entering contest: 1

Inspired by: One of my biggest sources of inspiration is nature. There are many amazing inspiring, complex systems and feats of engineering, from non-living (e.g. tectonic plate movement) and living, large (e.g. sperm whale) and small (e.g. archaebacteria in Yellowstone National Park), I never fail to find parallels to my own professional work. We truly have an awesome plant.
As an avid reader another huge source of inspiration in stories, most notably science fiction. The exposure to other people’s imagination, in all genres pushes me to think more creatively and make connections is seemingly unconnected domains.
If I had to sum up what inspires me in one, it would be diversity. Diversity in exposure, diversity in schooling, diversity in socialization. The more I learn and experience world from different perspectives, the more fodder I have for new ideas. NASA Tech Briefs are a go-to source for technology diversity. The wide range of easy to digest summaries of new products and publications allow me to define problems more completely, inspire the what if, and expose me to products and tools I can leverage in creating the future.