• Question: Do you think you're research will change the world? If so, how?

    Asked by author2913 (Victoria) to Chris, Josh, Rebecca, Rob, Susan on 23 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Chris Armstrong

      Chris Armstrong answered on 23 Jun 2015:

      Yes I do.

      But incredibly subtly. The work I’m doing’s end goal is laser driven NDT or non destructive testing. Which at its purest is a method of inspecting various industrial objects that doesn’t require damaging or taking apart the object itself.

      If laser systems can be made smaller (not my research) and if xray pulses from laser-solid interactions can be optimised (my research) systems that perform NDT would be compact enough to fit at the end of manufacturing lines. This will dramatically reduce cost of manufacture (no more man hours testing individuals), reduce failure rates of objects, and stop faulty (and potentially dangerous) products reaching consumers.

      So I think it will change the world, but there won’t be a big hoohar made about it.

    • Photo: Rebecca Dewey

      Rebecca Dewey answered on 23 Jun 2015:

      It probably won’t change the world but I’m hoping it will dramatically improve the lives of some of the people in the world. If people are ill and have something wrong with their brain, or they would like to change something or understand the brain better, or to be able to hear or see again, then my research might be able to help them achieve that, and for some people this could drastically change their life!

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