• Question: Why did you choose the idea you chose?

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      Asked by DolphinStar to Megan, Mzamo, Ola, Olivia, Weiyi on 5 Nov 2016.
      • Photo: Megan Seymour

        Megan Seymour answered on 5 Nov 2016:

        I’m not sure if you mean the idea I’m researching or the idea for what I’d like to do with the prize money- so I’ll just answer both 🙂

        Research- I wanted to use the skills that I already had (working with air sensitive materials, the chemistry of metals, making new materials) to do something that was completely new to me. The reason I chose to apply my skills to uranium chemistry was because not only is it something new to me, but compared to most of the other metals, the chemistry of uranium is fairly new to everyone- scientists only started researching the types of compounds I make about 15 years ago, so there is still lots that we need to find out and try to understand.

        The prize money- In the past I have volunteered at science festivals, run science workshops in schools, looked after work experience students and spoken at careers evenings. I would like to use the money in a way that I think could help all of the different groups of people I’ve worked with. I think my idea of making a science treasure hunt around the city that I live in (Edinburgh) should hopefully appeal to school students, but older and younger people as well.

      • Photo: Mzamo Shozi

        Mzamo Shozi answered on 7 Nov 2016:

        In terms of research, I chose what I am doing because there is an increase in the production of biodiesel and there an increase in glycerol which is waste from the making of biodiesel. So instead of the glycerol being thrown away (and there’s literally tonnes of it), I convert it to fuel and useful chemicals. So this could be economically viable for the places that are producing biodiesel.

      • Photo: Ola Michalec

        Ola Michalec answered on 11 Nov 2016:

        I chose to spend the prize on classes for teenagers which would involve practical learning about sustainability, cooking and tasty food. Maybe we could visit local farms and learn how to appreciate the hard work of our farmers together?I chose this idea cause I am passionate about food (NOMS!) and I think we can definitely improve on the food culture here. Too many kids have health problems related to bad diets and we are all too reliant on fast foods.

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