• Question: Why did you choose to do those perticular A levels?

    Asked by miriamocal to Neil on 7 Mar 2014.
    • Photo: Neil Bowles

      Neil Bowles answered on 7 Mar 2014:

      I always knew, from a young age, that I wanted to do something ‘technical’ or scientific. So I just kept going through school and Maths, Physics and Chemistry A-Level (at the time) were the best choice. If I was doing it again now, I’d choose to work harder at doing more Maths as thats always useful.

      At my school, I didn’t have much chance to do e.g. electronics or computing so I did them as a hobby.

Comments

  • Photo: bfarmer

    bfarmer commented on :

    how can we engage students in science at school so that we can increase the number of people taking STEM subjects at university?

  • Photo: Neil

    Neil commented on :

    Well, hopefully programmes like I’m an Engineer are part of the process.

    I often think the key is to show how relevant these subjects are to things that are happening all around us all the time, but people don’t see the connection. I’m surrounded by people who already know this stuff (i.e. STEM) is interesting, creative, challenging (world changing?) etc so my calibration is a bit off for how to engage with people. Actually, this is one of the interesting things about doing I’m an engineer – it helps with seeing how science and engineering are perceived by people.

    For what it is worth, I think the key to engaging with these subjects is to show how the ‘laws’ (theories) of physics and their application connect things from the small to the large and how observations that we can take for granted can have profound implications. Understanding how a fridge works turns out be connected to how the temperature varies at the poles of Venus for example. Why the sky is dark at night is another good one (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olbers'_paradox for example, plus the questions it raises!).

    There is no getting away from the Maths though, at some point you’ll need it!