Profile
Patrick Dalton
My CV
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Education:
St. Patrick’s primary school, Holywood.
Our Lady and St. Patrick’s College, Belfast.
Queen’s University Belfast. -
Qualifications:
11 GCSEs.
3 A levels in Physics, Maths and Further Maths with an AS in Software Development.
Grade 6 Cello, Grade 3 Double Bass.
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Work History:
I volunteered at a summer camp that taught teens how to code and worked as a sales assistant at a tech store. I also volunteer with the Northern Ireland science festival.
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Current Job:
Developmental Scientist for High Energy Lasers.
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About Me:
I’m a placement student Laser physicist from Northern Ireland that enjoys building random things using cheap electronics and optics.
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I love lasers, magnets and explosions; they’ve always struck me as the closest thing to real life magic. Every time I turn the laser on I’m still in awe that we can actually create directed energy.
I have an Arduino (electronics learning device) I use to practise building circuits and a set of cheap optical equipment. I play a lot of videogames on the PC that I build and upgrade.
I am an archer and a climber, although I’m probably a little rusty on both right now. I’m from Belfast, but I live in Oxfordshire right now. I play cello in an orchestra that plays music from films and videogames, but can also play bass guitar and double bass.
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I’m a physics and maths student currently studying at Queen’s University Belfast on placement with the Science and Technology Facilities Council. I participate in a couple of projects surrounding laser science but I am currently working remotely, this involves running simulations and building things on my workbench in my bedroom.
As part of my project, I am researching “polarisation cameras”, a new kind of technology on the market that I hope I can use to gain new information about the lasers my team work on.
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My Typical Day:
I get up and grab a cup of tea. I look over my emails and my notes and then I have a meeting with my boss at 10am. Usually at this point I’ll start programming and in the afternoon I’ll build stuff.
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8:30am – Work day begins, I check emails and notes.
10:00am – Meeting with boss
10:30am – Programming and data analysis; usually optical systems.
12:00am – Usually at this point I have a work meeting or I might attend a work lecture.
1:00pm – Lunch
2:00pm – At this point I usually work on my workbench setup, my ‘mini-lab’. I do research and build things. I might also do general tasks that the team require, like ordering equipment from suppliers or filling out admin.
5:05pm – Work day ends
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I’d donate it to the Northern Ireland Science Festival, I volunteer at it and think its one of the best ways to bring people together regarding science. They run talks and workshops in lots of different backgrounds surrounding STEM.
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Lasers Explosions Tea
What did you want to be after you left school?
A researcher, I've known what I wanted to do for a while.
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Not really, if I did something wrong it was almost always incompetence though, I'm not very organised.
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Probably Two Door Cinema Club, but I never really settle on one.
What's your favourite food?
A nice curry, preferably on chips.
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
To have my own TV science documentary, my own workshop and to run my own physics/engineering school or faculty
Tell us a joke.
Did you know I once offended the entire nation of Italy? It was a pizza cake.
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