Dual thermo-responsive polymer thin-films - the topic of my PhD thesis. Sounds fancy, right? But what does it actually mean? How does it work? Why do we investigate it? And what is it good for?
This section aims to answers these questions in an accesible and comprehensible way. I will try to convey the basic principles of polymer physics without using scientific gobbledygook found in most publications.
And what's more, I want to write about the things that are not published in scientific papers. I want to tell you about the challenges, the failures, the frustration, the learning, the HEUREKA moments, the teamwork, the small wins, the excitement, and everything else that goes with research. I want to tell the whole story and not just refer to the final publication, which is condensed on 6 pages. To me, this is necessary because it enables to access science with a different and more personal perspective. It might help to reduce fears and prejudices, and to strengthen the trust in scientific work. In times of fake news and conspiracy theories, this is particularly important in order not to lose the next generation of scientists.
To achieve this, two things are required: transparency and dialogue. I will take care about transparency, and moreover I would highly appreciate any exchange, be it questions, remarks, criticism, praise, or a friendly hello.
That's a lot to get under one roof, but I think this way, you and I will have a lot of fun. 😊