Everyone was born, even scientists. This esoterically and quixotically named series of videos tracks the occasionally surprising journeys of people who work behind your pharmacy counter, power up the centrifuges and ignite the Bunsen burners, build race cars, and trouble shoot space probes. These origin stories are meant to highlight the fact that great science careers can come from everywhere and don’t always require a scorchingly unattainable level of genius or great access to the ivory tower.

The next time you’re looking for a jolt of inspiration to make that science character more interesting, relatable, surprising, and distinctive (i.e., less stereotypical, boring, one-dimensional, and stale), click on an episode of I Was Born.

Scientists:  They’re just like us.

View videos from the series below!