• Question: why does science interest you, and what rewards for a breakthrough in science would you get?

    Asked by cccooollleee to David, Helen, Ian, rhysphillips, Sarah on 13 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Rhys Phillips

      Rhys Phillips answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      I think science interests me because it’s all around us – everything you see, do or touch is linked together by science. Awards for breakthroughs vary greatly depending on what area the breakthrough is in – a major breakthrough in my area (lightning protection of aircraft) would result in that protection actually being used on an aeroplane. But for example, if someone discovers/develops a cure for cancer, I suspect the rewards would be great in terms of financially and in terms of recognition. Most scientists aren’t doing this to try and make lots of money from a breakthrough though.

    • Photo: Helen Fletcher

      Helen Fletcher answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      Hi, people are constantly discovering new things in science so it never gets boring. For example, just when you thought you knew everything there was to know about a T cell.. someone goes and discovers an entirely new class of T cell and you have to re-think everything you THOUGHT you knew about T cells. It’s fun being challenged with new ideas all the time. A big breakthrough would mean a paper published in a top journal, seeing your discovery making a difference to peoples lives and more funding to continue on with your work. These things feel incredibly rewarding to us scientists!

    • Photo: Ian van der Linde

      Ian van der Linde answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      Science interests me because you are always learning and discovering new things about the world. For most scientists, just knowing that you’ve discovered something interesting is reward enough, but some people are given prizes (like the Nobel prize) if they discover something really amazing. Some scientists also take their ideas to market, and end up starting up a business that uses what they have found!

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