What I like about Science (Pure & Applied)

Hello, I’m Dylon, a student residing in Thompson, Manitoba. I’m in grade 10 and currently take a single grade 11 subject (Precalculus 30s). As of late, most of my efforts have been concentrated on last minute fundraising and studying for the Precalculus exam.

I have been excited about science every since Grade four, when I began watching many nature documentaries on the Discovery Channel. Over time I have developed a sense of appreciation for the beauty of pure (as in theoretical/opposed to applied) science in much the same way G. H. Hardy loved the beauty of pure mathematics.

To clarify, I consider evolutionary biology and biological anthropology (one of its’ specialized disciplines) a pure science. Even though anthropology as a field is usually categorized as a “social science” or “soft science”, as opposed to a “natural science” or “hard science”, my (potentially idiosyncratic) categories divided sciences on the bases of whether they’re regularly applied or done just for the advancement of knowledge.

That being said, I find that the elegance of theoretical discoveries can lead to equally elegant practical applications. Even with the little I do know about neurology and biological neural networks (confined to what I remember from an introductory book on the subject I read), I find applications of artificial neural networks intriguing. Another exception is biological applications of scientific research. The disinfestation of wheat without insecticides and Pathogens in Poultry projects interest me for this reason. The fact that I learned that chemical pesticides are really damaging to the environment further drew me to the project.

Reducing pathogens in poultry interested me likewise because microbiology and the fight against pathogens are closely intermingled with evolutionary biology. Even though I know that not a lot of evolutionary biology will be applied in the project, the sheer loose connection itself is enough to interest me, with the really important factor that the poultry project could make Manitoba’s food supply safer.

I’m getting too verbose. I might as well end by telling you of some everyday interests I have. I enjoy reading and occasionally writing (though I haven’t had a lot of time to write for non-school related reasons recently). I also like drinking diet pop or fair trade tea.

Good luck to everyone with their fundraising, I look forward to meeting you at the Manitoba Science Academy.