• Question: Do you know what effects on people and the environment your discoveries and inventions have? good or bad?

    Asked by marema to Gioia, Iain, Jo, Leo, Mariam on 16 Jun 2010 in Categories: . This question was also asked by russarianpantsxx, bffjex.
    • Photo: Joanna Watson

      Joanna Watson answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      Hi. I haven’t invented anything and all my discoveries so far have been quite small things.

      So far the things I have discovered have probably only affected other researchers, and I hope they have helped them with their research.

      I think it’s unlikely that any of my discoveries will ever make a big difference to the environment – you never know though – I might be a scientist for quite a long time in the future and might discover something really important. I don’t think it’s likely though because most scientists just discover lots of little things – that when joined together with what other scientists discover might have a big effect.

    • Photo: Mariam Orme

      Mariam Orme answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      In my research, I’m trying to find out more about the biological process by which cells die, in the hope that this will help us to develop new ways to treat cancer. I hope you agree with me that this would be a good thing! And I can’t think of any ways my research can be used that would be bad.

      I do also think about the environment. In my work, I use fruit flies that are genetically modified – in other words, we have altered their genes. It’s important for the environment that these flies don’t escape into the wild and breed with ordinary fruit flies, so I’m very careful not to let any escape.

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