• Question: What's your favourite part of science, and why do you like it most?

    Asked by aaronoshaughnessy2 to Angela, Gabriele, Karen, Maria, Shane on 12 Nov 2013.
    • Photo: Karen McCarthy

      Karen McCarthy answered on 12 Nov 2013:

      My favourite part of science is the investigating – looking at different ideas, following different paths and then trying to link up all the pieces . Answering one question in science is always the root of another question – its a constant chain reaction of questions and answers. It can be difficult at times, but its so rewarding when you succeed with your research, and it was worth all the hard work.

    • Photo: Gabriele De Chiara

      Gabriele De Chiara answered on 12 Nov 2013:

      My favourite subject has always been physics. I like understanding why things move the way they do, what happens when two balls collide, how electromagnetic waves propagate in vacuum. During my undergraduate studies in physics I discovered quantum theory and I fell in love with it. It is the most accurate theory that we currently have and describes the motion of the elementary particles: atoms, photons, electrons, neutrinos…
      It is quite weird and predicts that electron can be found in a superposition of positions, and only when they are observed they are found in one particular position. If you have ever watched the big bang theory there are many many references to quantum theory. Remember Schroedinger’s cat?

    • Photo: Shane Mc Guinness

      Shane Mc Guinness answered on 12 Nov 2013:

      I think the best part of science is being able to combine knowledge from lots of different places to solve a problem. Most of the time, it’s very hard to win a football game with a team of defenders right? And if you had a team full of strikers it’d be hard too!
      Or if you’ve got an army, having all tanks and no infantry is pointless. And I’d much rather a few jets on my side as well.
      The point is, having lots of good technology is great, but it’s only when all this is combined that you begin to solve problems. My science likes to look at the bigger picture, to solve problems using many different people studying many different things.
      And I could never be a general, telling people what to do over the radio, or a football manager standing on a side-line; I need to be involved on the ground! I guess that’s my other favourite part of science; working on the ground with the people and animals who you’re helping!

    • Photo: Angela Stevenson

      Angela Stevenson answered on 13 Nov 2013:

      I really enjoy exploring what’s at the bottom of the ocean. I dive very deep with submersible robots to find coral reefs and sometimes I bump into an unkown reef or find unknown animals that I get to name. It’s the mystery of it all that really keeps me on my toes – it’s impossible to be bored in my job with so much to discover 🙂

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