What have you personally learned from taking part in I’m a Scientist?

Ashleigh Johnstone answered on 13 Jul 2020:

This is such a great question and I love it! The key thing I’ve learnt is that there’s an amazing set of young minds out there and I’m so excited to see what you all do in the future. I’ve learnt so much from other scientists because of the insightful and amazing questions you guys have been asking. It’s given me faith that no matter what is happening in the world, there are young people who are curious and willing to ask tough questions. It’s been amazing! 🙂

Alex Holmes answered on 13 Jul 2020:

Oh Ella this is such an ace question!!

I’ve learnt a couple random science facts – like did you know different kinds of quarks (the particles that make up protons etc) are called different flavours? But I’ve probably personally learnt that no matter the format or set up, scientists and engineers love the chance to chat to each other and the public about pretty much anything!!

Adam Baskerville answered on 13 Jul 2020:

One of the nice aspects of “I’m a Scientist” is the range of ages covered in the chats. You have the off the wall questions asked by year 5’s and more career oriented questions from year 10-12’s. This has taught me how to better cater my answers to the age range asking the questions and try and communicate tricky concepts to make them accessible.

I have also learned from the scientists, as the open chats allow for more discussion between everyone and it was a great opportunity to ask questions to volcanologists, cell scientists, virologists, engineers and many more! It is easy for scientists to become absorbed in their own field, and it was refreshing to see and discuss all this interesting science happening out there!

Sonia Rodriguez answered on 13 Jul 2020:

I’ve learnt several things from this experience. First of all, I’ve realised that, as Ashleigh pointed, there are many talented young brains out there and interested in every possible scientific aspect. Sometimes the questions are so thoughtful and interesting that I’ve found myself waiting also for the answers of the experts. I’ve learnt so much about other fields in the Summer zone chats!
I’ve also learnt the importance of communicating science and how science is made more widely and efficiently, and how to adapt the message to different audiences. It’s been a great experience so far and I hope to be able to repeat it next year!

Katherine Haxton answered on 13 Jul 2020:

Firstly I’ve learned that there are a whole load of school children out there who are curious about how the universe works and who are interested in science. That gives me a lot of hope. Then I’ve learned a lot from the other scientists – they’re doing really amazing work. And finally I’ve learned a lot about communicating my research to a wide range of people, and how to get the right level for understanding.

Emma Wilson answered on 13 Jul 2020:

Great question! I’ve learnt so much about communicating what I do and speaking about science to different audiences. When I started on my first chat, I really struggled to explain things, but I feel that as time has gone on, I’ve gotten more confident.
It’s also been great to learn about what young people think about science and scientists from their fantastic questions. It’s really gotten me to look at my job in a completely new way.

Melanie Krause answered on 13 Jul 2020:

Hi Ella,
I think it has personally made me better in explaining my work and science in general in simpler terms.. and there were a lot of really interesting questions by students I have never thought of. Its also really amazing to see how engaged some students (like you 😉 are..who constantly want to learn more.
I think I would have loved something like this when I was a teenager.. no-one in my family is a scientist and I never knew a scientist or spoke to one before I went to Uni. As such I found it a bit intimidating because I thought all of these people are infinitely smarter than me (now that I am one myself, I definitely know that I am definitey not infinitely smarter than others) so its great that this platform shows that thats not true at all 🙂

Gulnar Abdullayeva answered on 13 Jul 2020:

Hi Ella. Great question.
First of all, I really enjoyed seeing so many science-loving students like you and answering their questions as best I could. As part of the project, I realized how to explain my research in a simpler and clearer way. I learned a lot of new and interesting information from other scientists in live chats. It was really fascinating to search and answer questions I had never thought about. And many many more things… It is a great experience for me.

Tiffany Chan answered on 13 Jul 2020:

Hi Ella! Brilliant question. I’ve learnt about lots of cool science from other scientists/engineers taking part, and from students themselves! It’s been really nice to get to talk to students (especially in lockdown) – everyone’s enthusiasm has been really contagious and it’s made me want to get back into the lab ASAP! 🙂

Laura Durrant answered on 14 Jul 2020: last edited 14 Jul 2020 2:47 pm

I’m a Scientist has definitely helped with my science communication skills! Having studied at university for 5 years, I’ve gotten very used to communicating scientific topics in a more academic manner rather than in a casual, laid-back kind of way – which has been a very nice change! It kind of reminds me of being back at school when teachers would explain things in a little too much detail and you would totally lose focus… a couple of times, I’ve felt like that teacher 😝 But it’s good to learn by doing and I definitely feel like I’ve adapted to speaking about science in a more relatable way, rather than using big fancy words all the time!
And seeing as you’ve played a big part in our chats, I want to thank you because chatting to you has definitely helped me develop 😊

Luke Bryden answered on 14 Jul 2020:

Hey! I think I have learned how to more clearly and plainly express science. By having to think over how to explain complex concepts, it has also reinforced my own understanding. I have also learned that younger people ask the most insightful and open questions which really make me think.

Chloe Carter answered on 14 Jul 2020:

Great question! I’m a scientist has been a little life line for me, I’m isolating on my own and it can be really lonely. I have really enjoyed chatting to students and scientists and learning so much! There are things I’ve learnt about that I would never have thought about like lake sediment and climate change, crystals in reusable batteries and nanoparticles! There is so much in the world that I have no idea about and there are so many students that are so smart and so interested in science!

Aisling Ryan answered on 15 Jul 2020:

Hi Ella! I love this question 🙂 I’ve learnt so much! I’ve learnt about the really cool work other scientists are doing, and a lot about scientific areas that I didn’t know much about before joining I’m a Scientist, such as the solar system! I’ve also learnt a lot about how school students see science and I hope I have helped to show that science is really broad and inclusive 🙂 I’ve also learnt a lot about how best to explain what I do in a way that doesn’t involve lots of heavy scientific language which has really developed my communication skills as well 🙂
So thank you for the great questions!!

Question: What have you personally learned from taking part in I'm a Scientist?

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