• Question: What is your favourite scientific theory / which one do you have the most confidence in? (e.g. big bang theory)

    Asked by luke to Stephen, Natalie, Mark, Jeni on 15 Jun 2016.
    • Photo: Jeni Spragg

      Jeni Spragg answered on 15 Jun 2016:

      Hey Luke,

      That’s a good question, but it’s not something I’ve ever really though about! I think it would have to be the First Law of Thermodynamics – the idea that energy can neither be created or destroyed.

      As a chemical/process engineer, it’s fundamental to everything I do (at work, anyway, I don’t tend to bring it up at home!). When you are designing and analysing processes and chemical reactions, it all comes back to the fact that the energy has to come from, or go to, somewhere. We carry out an ‘energy balance’ across a process and it helps us to understand all the pressure, temperature and chemical changes going on. For example, it might help you design a separation column (a few storeys high) that puts in just the right amount of heat to the get the product to the purity you need.

    • Photo: Mark Gowan

      Mark Gowan answered on 15 Jun 2016:

      I agree with Jeni, a good question.
      I am going to go for Evolution by natural selection by Charles Darwin.

    • Photo: Stephen Richardson

      Stephen Richardson answered on 15 Jun 2016:

      Mine is einsteins theory of relativity – that might sound a bit cheesy but I once read an essay which explained it in easy to understand language and I found it really inspiring.
      The idea that in some way really everything is just made of energy!

    • Photo: Natalie Wride

      Natalie Wride answered on 16 Jun 2016:

      Hi Luke!

      Wow .. erm I haven’t ever really thought about it! There’s quite a few theories I use in my research and Jeni’s theory is one that is constantly used in all types of Engineering! Aside from this I’d probably say the Big Bang Theory – I’ve watched a couple of TV programs on it (and obviously the big bang theory!!) and read one of Stephen Hawkings books and find it totally fascinating!

      I think it’s amazing how someone can think about this problem and propose a theory about it because it’s such a huge and important topic. It seems strange now to think that this theory was originally not widely accepted!

      What’s yours?

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