Have you ever been on a flight full of scientists from the FDA?

Until today, I hadn’t either.

However, after striking a conversation with the scientist next to me, I learned a few key things.

1. Getting funding is very difficult. And the funds often go to different administrative organizations that don’t actually contribute to the research.
2. The FDA is often mischaracterized by whatever “political regime” is in power at the moment. Most of the employees are simply trying to carry out their tasks to their best abilities.

But the biggest takeaway from this conversation was not this new insight into what life is like as a scientist, or the fascinating photos of his lab, but rather his answer to a simple question.

What’s one thing you’d like to do before you die?

His answer: bike across the U.S.

This man bikes to his lab every day, which is 24 miles round trip, and is very passionate about reducing his carbon footprint.

From a brief conversation to knowing what he would want to do before he died, strangers are full of surprises.