• Question: What is your favourite invention?

    Asked by sampalmer16 to Elaine, Heather, Keith on 27 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Elaine Marshall

      Elaine Marshall answered on 27 Jun 2013:

      Wow this is a tough question:

      in the lab my favorite invention is a technique called quantitative PCR we use to measure the expression of RNA produced from genes – this allows us to see when the cell switches on or off a gene.
      Or perhaps it is a cloning technique that allows us to make glow in the dark mice?? Can I have 2 favourites 🙂

      Outside of the lab, in every day life it is the telephone. This is my favorite way of contacting people and with out it I would be lost! Also if you look at how the technology has evolved over such a short period it is quite amazing.

    • Photo: Keith Siew

      Keith Siew answered on 27 Jun 2013:

      I would have to say the internet!

      I can’t imagine my life without it! I remember when we got dial-up into our house first growing up… the excitement of waiting for the Disney World page to load… back then it took a good 10mins for the jpeg to load… that’s how slow it was!!! I also miss the weird sounds it made when you dialled up… but then it all changed when broadband came along… Google really got going… and then Youtube and Facebook hit the scene!

      I love how it allows us all to communicate with one another… share knowledge, socialise and collaborate! I think its one the greatest inventions ever!

    • Photo: Heather Eyre

      Heather Eyre answered on 27 Jun 2013:

      The Tesla coil: it makes artificial lightening!

      but more practically electricity (more of a discovery really) and the national grid,

      It’s amazing how so many volts and so much power can be carried by cables, and they power so much!

Comments