• Question: what is the most exciting experiment you have done

    Asked by ciaramurray to Julia, Sara, Amy, Drew, Kimberley on 13 Jun 2011. This question was also asked by anam, charlie96, willemh, princesspenguin, sdavis, eimearconnolly, jordant, iluvskittles, corak954, parmar7r2.
    • Photo: Sara Imari Walker

      Sara Imari Walker answered on 10 Jun 2011:

      Hi ciaramurray and anam! This is a great question! I am a theorist so I actually don’t do experiments in the lab. However, doing theoretical science requires testing things too! We try to make models to explain the world around us including the experiments other scientists do. And, sometimes those models and equations are really really tough to solve. So I use a computer to help me. In some sense my computer does experiments for me. I write programs for it to solve =) One exciting computer experiment I have done actually shows how chemical systems can do really interesting things on surfaces! Possibly very relevant to the start of life on Earth. These results can now be tested in the lab by experimental scientists. This back and forth between experiment and theory (i.e. mathy stuff) actual forms a strong foundation for science, its great stuff!

    • Photo: Julia Griffen

      Julia Griffen answered on 10 Jun 2011:

      Well…. ummm in comparison to Sara I do a lot of traditional chemical experiments. Although I must agree we also rely on the guys with computers to look at the theory behind what we’re doing to help explain it in detail!

      I have to say I’m quite simple in the fact I like it when my experiments change colour or fizz! I use gases in balloons to make some of my reactions work, which is always fun!
      I also get to use bacteria which is unusual for a chemist to use – you’d think a biologist would use.
      I grow these bugs up in hug containers, these froth and foam and don’t smell nice!!! The bacteria carry out complex chemical reactions on the chemicals that I feed them. Using the bacteria is cleaner and produces less toxic waste than using traditional chemicals and solvents!
      Afraid I don’t do any big bangs or explosions: I try to avoid those for safety reasons, I’d still like a lab to work in! 🙂

    • Photo: Drew Rae

      Drew Rae answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      Hi guys. Most of my work doesn’t involve experiments. Certainly not in the idea of physics or chemistry experiments. The most exciting one I’ve done was to ask a whole group of people to draw a diagram explaining how an accident happened, and compared their answers.

    • Photo: Amy MacQueen

      Amy MacQueen answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      I do lots of experiments – sometimes we don’t know right now what are going to be the most exciting in the future. Some things that we do now may impact science in 20years time! Anyway I have done some cloning – thats pretty cool I guess…not another person though – its not allowed!

      Its pretty exciting giving drugs to cells and watching what happens too though – because these drugs could be the medicines of the future!

      🙂

    • Photo: Kimberley Bryon

      Kimberley Bryon answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      Oooh I have done lots of exciting experiments. At school I did quite a good one where we made a plastic bottle rocket launch. But in terms of what I do now, the most exciting one was giving cocaine to my worms as we had no idea what it would do or if we could manage to get them to take it. The results were really different to what we expected and am still trying to figure out what it means 🙂

Comments

  • Photo: gingerninja2011

    gingerninja2011 commented on :

    The most exiting experiment was in Yr8 my science teacher filled a paint tub full of pressurised air and it exploded!!! It was Awesome!!! 😀

  • Photo: Amy

    Amy commented on :

    Hi guys…I’ve done some cloning.

    That’s pretty cool.

    I’ve not made another human being (its not allowed…and I wouldn’t want to! 🙂 ) but I have put the gene for a human protein into a bacteria to grow it up so that you can then put it into another animal, such as a mouse. This means that the mouse will have the human protein and can give you more information about what it does during disease in a person. This helps you make medicines, which treat people with diseases like cancer and arthritis and asthma…which saves lives.

    Which is pretty sweet.

    🙂

  • Photo: Amy

    Amy commented on :

    whoopsies…I didn’t realise you didn’t ask me this question…bit of computer confusion! Sorry for muscling in!! 🙂