• Question: Share with the community, how being part of iasuk.ddev.site can help you and the community to understand your department of science and become a 'better' scientist.

    Asked by bones to Jamie, Jodie, Kat, Mark, Niamh on 21 Mar 2011 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Jamie Pringle

      Jamie Pringle answered on 16 Mar 2011:

      Hello bones,

      Hopefully you young scientists can see that we dont just teach academic, dry subjects at University, but you can study something exciting and something that leads to a fulfilling career in science. We need all the science students that we can get, so come on and join us!

      To be honest, this is really helping my communication skills, it can become routine to talk in technical language with my peers, but the ability to explain something in a common sense way is a difficult skill for me, and one I am hoping I am improving as I go through these 2 weeks.

    • Photo: Niamh Nic Daeid

      Niamh Nic Daeid answered on 16 Mar 2011:

      Hi Bones

      I think that talking to each other can help in understanding how science works better in the real world. We can try and explain how we use science in our fields so that you can get a taste for how what you’re learning in school can have real value. Hopefully it will provide some inspiration to keep studying science and come into the business yourself ! 🙂

    • Photo: Mark Hill

      Mark Hill answered on 17 Mar 2011:

      Hello Bones,

      I feel a bit like the ‘odd person out here’ as I am a police officer who works in science and with science to understand road crashes.I would love to be a scientist, although I don’t think that I ever will be, I hope that, with a current PhD opportunity, I can be a ‘’ scientist. Science has always fascinated me and the honour of being selected for this event is fantastic. In turn, I am really lucky to be in the event with some ‘real’ scientists and I am, like you, learning so much from them as well.

      This event is so important in making science matters accessible to all, to try and interest students and young people more in matters that are all around us and in fields that need young bright minds to in turn take forward the science matters that are being studied here, by the other scientists.

      I really believe and enjoy going in to schools and colleges, to lecture to students and young people on my aspects of forensic science, physics and maths, to show how the sometimes ‘boring’ maths and science is needed and found in the ‘real world’. After the lecture, I skid my Police Galaxy across a car park or playground, give the students a few fictitious witness statements and ask them to investigate the ‘collision scene, by photographing it, measuring it, reading the statements and doing a short report on what has happened, with a little maths.

      What’s nice is that nearly all students really make a big effort, I think because they can relate their science and maths lessons to a real job. I try to make science fun, because if someone enjoys a subject, they generally want to take part in it more and find out more.

      I am really passionate about my job and will willingly include anyone in looking through collision scenes and explaining the evidence, from other colleagues, to press reporters. If they have a camera and I am beside them, then they can’t take photos of me. I’ve got a face for radio!

      Being in this event, in which I can try and enthuse a lot more young people in science is fantastic. Keep your questions coming, Bones. They are really constructive. Thank you. Mark.

    • Photo: Jodie Dunnett

      Jodie Dunnett answered on 21 Mar 2011:

      From a student’s point of view, I think that by having the opportunity to take part in something like this is a really useful way of getting interested in science and by being able to ask questions to “real” scientists, they can find out how the science they are studying at school can benefit them in a real job. Hopefully, by understanding the subjects more will enable them to do better in that subject which will enable them to pursue it at a higher level.

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