Profile
Chris Oliver
My CV
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Education:
I went to a secondary school in Stoke-on-Trent, and a sixth form in the Staffordshire Moorlands. I worked as hard as I could at my GCSEs and A-levels, which meant I could go the University of Birmingham to get my physics degree.
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Work History:
Before my job now, I worked as a software developer in a big laboratory. This means that I helped to make the software that scientists use to do their research.
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Current Job:
I am a PhD student at the University of Birmingham. PhDs are how people learn to become scientists.
Afterwards, you can stay working in universities, where you do research to discover new things about the universe and passing this knowledge on by teaching. Or, you can apply your new skills as a scientist to all kinds of jobs.
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About Me:
I am a PhD student, working on the physics of ultracold gases. We cool gases to fractions of a degree above absolute zero and use this to understand how materials work.
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My Typical Day:
I do lots of different things in a day. I always do my research work, where I help to find out new things about how the world works. I use lots of maths and special software to predict how things might work, and then I help people do experiments to check this.
Besides this, I spend a lot of time learning about the new things other scientists have discovered. I also tell people about the new things I have discovered.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I would use it to buy equipment for a workshop about my research area, so I can better explain to school groups and the public about this amazing physics!
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My Interview
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What did you want to be after you left school?
I wanted to be a scientist. I think that is still true, but I have learned that there are lots more ways to be a scientist than I thought when I left school.
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