I don’t know if my work is the best thing I could do with my time: I think that’s hard to answer.
That said, I think the really positive aspects are:
1)CERN is an important source of international cooperation on a peaceful topic – I think this is particularly good when countries don’t talk to each other. During the Cold War, scientists from Russia and America could work together in a neutral environment.
2)Inspiration: many people are inspired into science by fundamental science, like CERN, astronomy, gravitational waves. The skills they gain from science end up getting applied in lots of different ways.
3)Training: many people do particle physics for a few years and then move on – they can then use the specific skills they have (maths, computing, problem solving, collaboration) in many different areas. People I know have gone from particle physics into energy research, the civil service, and the NHS, all the time using their skills for good.
My work is very far removed from the world. But the skills i’m learning will be put to good use in the future.
I hope to work in environmental or medical science in the future. I have a lot of skills in modelling on computers and modelling is helpful in lots of situations in the world (eg: modelling a volcano eruption, or how blood travels in the body). I would love to apply my physics knowledge to the world!
My work is not something that would be immediately applicable to real world solutions, but hopefully my results will help future researchers design better drugs or defence strategies against harmful bacteria
I work on electronics and as the world becomes more technologically advanced we will require them to do more and last for longer. A lot of the testing we do helps advance this! We also help to support new technologies like wearable electronics such as ones you can put into your clothes so we may be able to charge our phones from our jumpers in the future!
During my PhD, my work focused on developing materials that help clean water supplies in the developing world. They used visible light to produce highly reactive species known as free radicals which break down nasty pollutants.
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