Sometimes it can seem like scientists of the past and even the present did/are doing such technical and remarkable work on the frontiers of knowledge that they aren't human the way the rest of us are.

Though human preferences and personalities necessarily differ, it can come as a surprise to read that some preeminent scientists of today once considered being a ballet dancer, a journalist, or a radio presenter.

And yes, we all know that scientists are all officially and categorically human, but it's still rather nice to be reminded of how the great questions and challenges of science of today are being tackled by actual, real, rather accessible and exciting people, who just so happen to put their heart and soul into being scientists.

Lucky for us, the website The Scientific 23 exists!

Made possible by the Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award 2013 awarded to Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, of UCL's Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience.

It's worth clicking around and soaking up what life is really like as a real life scientist.

The Scientific 23: Questions for Scientists http://thescientific23.com