So then I did a PhD. Here’s a quick summary…a lot of stuff (metal, rocks, etc) is made of crystals where the atoms are packed in a regular pattern, like oranges at the greengrocer. Here and there in the crystal you find bits where the atoms aren’t stacked properly and it’s the shape and behaviour of these defects that decide basically how most properties work for that material. It turns out you can actually see these defects as bright lines if you take a little bit of a material and put it in an electron microscope (google that, it’s awesome). So my PhD was to put samples in the microscope and then turn them round while taking pictures, do a lot of data processing and then you get a 3D model of where the defects are (defect/dislocation tomography), like when they do an MRI scan to get a 3D picture of somebody’s brain. And we were the first people in the world to do that for crystal defects in an electron microscope. This sounds quite easy when it’s one paragraph but I’ve missed out the bits where I threw things at the wall after everybody had gone home. But, I got the PhD in the end and it was worth it. Things I learned: if somebody tells you something’s too difficult, it’s probably the right thing to do. If you don’t get up in the morning, go to work in the afternoon. Never attempt teaching without tea. And, I have caught up with maths a bit more now.

Now I have a research job at Sheffield University where I have learned to do a whole other method of electron microscopy (EELS) based around measuring the energy of transmitted electrons that got scattered as they went through the sample, to find out about how the sample’s bonds and electron states were set up. I’m using this to help a research group in ceramics to develop materials that will make better batteries
and electronic components, which will hopefully help us build better technology for renewable energy, among other things. My days mostly consist of processing data and drinking tea, and occasionally spending the day on the microscope collecting more data, or waiting for microscopes to get fixed. And a not insignificant amount of surfing
the internet. I’d say my field of research is maybe 70-80% men but they’re mostly quite nice and I never have to queue for the toilet at conferences. Though they do eat all the ham sandwiches if you’re not quick.

When I’m not in a dark lab looking at a little green microscope screen, I like to go kayaking (see picture; all the pics at work have me looking half asleep or quite goofy), look after my garden, hang around with my friends and make clothes. Also, I throw less things.

What approaches work?? 

Any ideas would be really appreciated

Thanks

Peter

Thanks