• Question: Do you ever get doubted by anybody?

    Asked by away520bhut to janmckendrick on 21 Mar 2025.
    • Photo: Jan McKendrick

      Jan McKendrick answered on 21 Mar 2025:

      Yes – mostly myself! I think with science, there are no always perfect answers and we are often trying to find answers to difficult, new questions. People will have different opinions and may not agree with you – but thats okay. By explaining why you think something and why they think something else, you may find something really helpful

Comments

  • Photo: Edward

    Edward commented on :

    Absolutely! It is almost part of the job. It encourages us to check our work and to make sure our answer makes sense. Several times in exams or other places, I solved the problem and wrote the answer and found I out the decimal place in the wrong spot.
    As an academic, we do some research and we try and publish it in a journal. It is peer reviewed by other people (this means they read it and say where it could be improved). There can be a LOT of doubts here! Sometimes you made an error, but often, it is because you didn’t do a good job of explaining it.
    Science and maths are really useful but it is just as important to communicate it. Professor Hannah Fry is someone who is recognised for this. You can google her and watch her videos on youtube for example.