• Question: Have you ever invented anything or discovered anything new?

    Asked by elmo97 to Andrew, Emma, Marianne on 21 Jun 2010 in Categories: . This question was also asked by dimitri33.
    • Photo: Andrew Maynard

      Andrew Maynard answered on 14 Jun 2010:

      Hi elmo97,

      I “invented” a device for collecting very small particles out of the air to study them, when I was doing my PhD. But it was never made into a commercial instrument. I’ve also discovered lots of things as a scientist but, to be honest, many of these probably seem quite boring. They’re like the bricks that make up a grand building – the bricks are important, but not half so impressive as the overall result of lots of them together.

      Not that I find my work boring of course 🙂

    • Photo: anon

      anon answered on 15 Jun 2010:

      We have a new drug that’s promising for the treatment of lung disease. I didn’t invent it but i did discover some of the things that it can do. Quite a good feeling.

    • Photo: Marianne Baker

      Marianne Baker answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      I haven’t invented anything I don’t think…
      Discoveries, well, for my thesis I hope lots of my work will be new things no one’s ever found before. Actually, it has to be – it’s a requirement to get a PhD, that you do original studies!

      I’m trying to characterise the functions of a protein in a situation that people haven’t considered it before; we know it can cause deafness (if it’s not working properly, the genes are missing or other similar problem) but people haven’t looked at it in relation to cancer before.

    • Photo: anon

      anon answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      Hi elmo97 and dimitri33. I haven’t strictly speaking invented something in my line of work but I have improved the way we assess environmental impacts on our small sized shore establishments by writing an environmental management system for them.:)

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