• Question: are you optimistic about what the outcome of your expirement might be ?

    Asked by talbotvanalceraz to Alastair, Emma, Hywel, Keith, Vicki on 17 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Alastair Sloan

      Alastair Sloan answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      Hi Talbot.

      I’m always optimistic about the outcome of our experiments, but also know that some results are unexpected so I always keep an open mind. I tell my PhD students that there is no such thing as a negative result, just the creation of another question

    • Photo: Vicki Stevenson

      Vicki Stevenson answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      Hi
      Yes – if I thought an experiment would fail, I’d spend some time working out a better experiment!
      Just now I’m working on a solar wall – a way of using sunlight to heat air in a building to save using fossil fuels for heating. I did some small scale experiments on this before and they went well – this is a much bigger experiment, should be easier to get results from!

    • Photo: Keith Brain

      Keith Brain answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      Yes, I am, but this is very dangerous! You should approach each experiment with an open mind, knowing that anything could happen (otherwise, is the experiment worth doing?), and be willing to accept the result even if it means destroying your favorite ideas. This is quite a strong discipline to learn, and what makes science very different from, for example, politics.

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