Question: hi charlotte why do you like engernneering

Charlotte Slade answered on 10 Mar 2025: last edited 10 Mar 2025 8:10 AM

Great question!

I love engineering because it’s basically professional puzzle-solving! 🧩

Every day is like being given a complex challenge that nobody has solved before.
– How can we make this instrument more precise?
– How do we capture data in a completely new way?
– How might we solve a problem that seems impossible?

Sometimes that means building something totally new, sometimes it means improving an existing design by just a fraction. But that tiny improvement could help a researcher make a breakthrough that changes how we understand the world.

Take my work in surface analysis – we’re developing tools that can see things thousands of times smaller than a human hair. Imagine helping scientists understand how materials work at an atomic level, or creating instruments that might lead to better solar panels, more efficient batteries, or new medical treatments.

It’s like being part detective, part inventor, and part problem-solver. And the best part? I get to work with amazing teams who are just as curious and excited about discovering something new as I am.

Plus, occasionally things go BOOM in a controlled, totally scientific way – which is always fun! 😄🔬