Popular Science magazine"s 2007 list of the absolute worst jobs in science include whale-feces researchers, hazmat divers, and employees of Microsoft"s Security Response Center. Popular Science has been compiling the list since 2003 and according to Michael Moyer, the magazine"s executive editor, Microsoft"s Security Response Center made the grade this year because the job is just so hard and thankless. "It"s one of those classic jobs, which isn"t gross or dangerous in any way, but the overwhelmingness of the task at hand makes it so daunting that only the most intrepid would venture there."
The MSRC ranked near the middle as the sixth-worst job in this year"s list, published in the July issue of the magazine. The absolute worst job is the hazmat diver: "These are highly trained individuals who strap on scuba dear and dive into toxic sludge," Moyer explained. Microsoft"s Mark Griesi, a program manager with the MSRC, says working at the response center "is one of the toughest jobs to have. But with tough challenges come great reward. The article does call out the dedication that the people in all of these jobs have, and I have never worked with a more dedicated group then the MSRC."