Do You Cook? You Might Be a Scientist “Do you cook?” It was one of the first questions my former PI asked me— not in a casual lunchtime conversation, but on the day I started working in the lab. At first, I thought it was just a warm-up to a conversation or maybe a quirky habit of his. But soon, I realized he asked that question to everyone who joined the lab. Regardless of your background or academic level, he asked with calm curiosity: “Do you cook?” And no, he wasn’t talking about culinary skills or your ability to follow recipes. He wasn’t interested in what you cooked or how often you did it. He was asking something much subtler: Do you enjoy being in the process of making something? Do you find a rhythm in the mess? Are you patient enough with trial and error? That simple question was a window into your mindset. I didn't realize the weight of it right away. But the more time I spent in the lab, the more I saw how perfectly that one question reflected the core of what ...