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Q&A with Did You Know

What would be your advice to educators who are working with colleagues going above and beyond, but are yet to nominate them for an ÃÛÌÒÉçÇø Education prize?

Don’t worry about making a polished nomination, gather the key points that make the nominee stand out and where possible provide supporting information. However, the most important thing is to nominate them.

How did you first become interested in chemistry or science?

My mum used to take me to the zoo and that sparked my interest in animals, which I'm pretty sure led to a desire to understand life processes. (Katharine Pemberton)

I have been interested in science for as long as I can remember, birdwatching with my dad and sitting out watching thunderstorms rolling in across the Channel. My interest in chemistry came from Mr Berol at Hurstpierpoint College, who is still an inspiration to me. (Paul Tyler)

When I was in infant school and was just fascinated by how and why things worked? I asked a lot of questions! (Julia Nash)

Always had a fascination with 'mixing' stuff, and 'making potions', which is probably why I’m an organic chemist. I then got hooked on the TV programme Quincy ME, and the world of forensic pathology, and those two things probably unlocked the questioning, problem-solving part of me, which are key components of anyone interested in science. (Craig Early)

Who or what inspires you?

Anyone who works hard and is kind to people. (Katharine Pemberton)

Other than a collection of my high school teachers, it was always Rosalind Franklin - her story struck a chord with me from the first time I heard it. (Paul Tyler)

Those who have shown an awareness of all people and ideas, and those that inspire us to achieve and make a positive difference in the world. (Julia Nash)

What motivates you?

Watching children make their own discoveries and connections between the things in their world. Hearing children suggest plausible scientific explanations which I have never considered. (Katharine Pemberton)

My motivation now is supporting young people setting out on their journey of scientific discovery - I love those lightbulb moments, the questions, the observations that only those discovering things for the first time can make. I take great pride in meeting ex-pupils who are following a science path inspired, in a small way, by learning with me in primary school. (Paul Tyler)

It is really rewarding when children start to use what they have learned in science at school and apply it to their life independently. They can't wait to tell you what they have observed, collected or tried out and science becomes a lesson where everyone is confident and keen to participate. (Rebecca Ellis)

How children bring wonder and insight to our learning community, even the very youngest. Their ability to connect ideas and offer original scientific explanations which enrich our shared journey and remind us how much we learn from each other. (Julia Nash)

The opportunity to instill that love of learning into children from an early age. The chance to show children that the impossible is always possible and to dream big and never settle for less. To show children that making mistakes, finding things hard and getting things wrong are the keys to success - we learn more from things going wrong than we do from everything going right all the time. (Craig Early)

What are the qualities that make your team special?

Enjoyment in spending time working together and a willingness to listen to each other. (Katharine Pemberton)

The passion for supporting young children's first steps in science education, the realisation that real life contexts are so important for bringing science learning to life. We've always complemented each other really well as a team with our different research backgrounds and passions. Oh, and we always have a lot of fun when we catch up. (Paul Tyler)

We are the kind of people who don't mind not knowing, because that gives us the opportunity to find out. (Rebecca Ellis)

Support, sharing and understanding. (Julia Nash)

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

The diversity of options in chemistry is huge and there is something that will always interest you. Whether it's studying the chemistry of living things like I did, the chemistry of materials, or the chemistry of our atmosphere, it's an endlessly fascinating and relevant subject. (Paul Tyler)

Science is everywhere so stay curious and ask lots of questions wherever you go. (Rebecca Ellis)

If chemistry is your passion, follow your ideals with purpose and aspire to great things - embrace each opportunity with determination and joy. (Julia Nash)

Never accept what is in front of you. Keep asking the question because eventually there will be a question where no-one has an answer (including Google) - then things get really interesting! (Craig Early)

How can good science education support solving global challenges?

It can support children to feel empowered to play a role – whether that be recycling, making informed choices about their role as a consumer or becoming a research chemist. (Katharine Pemberton)

Good science education, particularly around climate change and sustainability, holds the key to our young people being empowered to solve the increasing global challenges of the future. Whether our children are going to pursue a science career, or not, a good level of scientific literacy is essential to ensuring they can make informed decisions in the future. (Paul Tyler)

A good science education helps you tackle problems in a systematic way: What is the problem? What do I know? What do I need to find out? How am I going to do it?

Even if your job is not always being a scientist, approaching life like a scientist means that everyone can be empowered to make a contribution. (Rebecca Ellis)

Ensure children are confident and challenged to contribute. (Julia Nash)

Can you tell us about a scientific development on the horizon that you are excited about?

Developments in treating heritable illnesses such as cystic fibrosis and Huntington’s disease. (Katharine Pemberton)

Not sure how far on the horizon it is, but the scale up of nuclear fusion as a source of energy could well be the greatest scientific achievement of my lifetime. (Paul Tyler)

I'm excited by interdisciplinary approaches for example using biotechnology with chemical engineering has the potential to help us solve problems such as pollution, vaccine and medicine production and perhaps even food production. (Rebecca Ellis)

Developments in Dementia research. (Julia Nash)

Why is chemistry important?

Understanding chemistry helps us understand how lots of big, apparently intangible concepts can be broken down into smaller ideas that we can grasp. (Katharine Pemberton)

Chemistry impacts every aspect of our lives, from the food we eat to the fuels that power our world, from the medicines we use to understanding how our atmosphere is changing. As a discipline, it holds the evidence of our past and the answers to our future. (Paul Tyler)

Chemistry is fundamental to grasping how the world works. It reveals the building blocks of life, innovation and progress. (Julia Nash)

What has been a highlight for you (either personally or in your career)?

As a scientist, it has been presenting at conferences. As a teacher, it's giving children the chance to present their work to audience and take pride in their efforts. (Katharine Pemberton)

Definitely getting my Primary Science Teaching Trust award and becoming a fellow of the PSTT College. It changed the whole course of my teaching career. (Paul Tyler)

Thinking about this as a scientist, it's publishing research both as a research scientist and as a DYK team member. Looking at it as a teacher, it's been building upon children’s science capital, inspiring them to see themselves as future scientists who are confident in their ability to make a meaningful difference. In the Do You Know project specifically, it's seeing how real science can inspire not just the research world but children as young as six years old. (Julia Nash)

Having been dead set on wanting to be a chemist since going to secondary school, chemistry wasn't something that came easily to me. While studying for my A-Levels, my chemistry teacher would question why I took the subject but I took it because I loved it!. An E at A-Level appeared to justify the teacher at the time having doubts but I didn't give up on the dream. I did a foundation degree at Loughborough University, which I passed with flying colours, and then did a medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry degree and got a 2:1. After that, I completed my PhD and achieved a doctorate. For me, that was dream accomplished and it was the foundation of which I based my teaching career upon when speaking with children: never let anyone tell you that you can't do something. (Craig Early)

What has been a challenge for you (either personally or in your career)?

There's never enough time. (Katharine Pemberton)

For me, it was the decision to leave research as a molecular biochemist and retrain as a teacher, which was hard but has ultimately been very rewarding. (Paul Tyler)

The bureaucracy and finance. (Julia Nash)

How are the chemical sciences making the world a better place?

Through improved understanding of materials science, energy and medical science. (Katharine Pemberton)

The chemical sciences are constantly giving us new materials to work with, changing the way we power our world, improving food production and helping us better understand our atmosphere and the changes that are happening there. (Paul Tyler)

It provides the framework to drive innovation. (Julia Nash)

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

Teamwork makes you step back and reflect on your own ideas. Cognitive conflict in team debates helps you develop and modify your understanding. (Katharine Pemberton)

Interdisciplinary teamwork has moved science on so quickly in the last 20 years. The ability of scientists to collaborate globally has accelerated research potential beyond what could have been imagined while I was doing my research at university. (Paul Tyler)

Different people have unique ways of seeing things and so by listening to each other, we can become wiser and more thoughtful. (Rebecca Ellis)

It ensures a wide spectrum of ideas are shared, explored and valued, as well as deepening understanding and strengthening collective growth. It is also fun to work in a team. (Julia Nash)

Finally for a bit of fun...What is your favourite element?

Carbon as my PhD was in photosynthesis and primary production. (Katharine Pemberton)

I've always had a fascination for mercury - I am old enough to remember playing with it at school when a thermometer broke and it still amazes me. (Paul Tyler)

Oxygen because it is all around us and is vital to our survival, but do we even notice it is there? (Rebecca Ellis)

Gold, because, like science, it is useful as well as precious. (Julia Nash)

Probably boron - because I discovered that Borax was the key ingredient for making slime and I loved slime!

As an organic chemist, I should probably say carbon. (Craig Early)