• Question: What has been the most dangerous or interesting experiment that you have ever done in your career of studying nature and plants??

    Asked by anon-218615 to Shannah, Richard, Matthew (known as Kaan by, johnpaterson, Emma, Anna on 14 Jun 2019. This question was also asked by anon-218613.
    • Photo: Emma Markham

      Emma Markham answered on 14 Jun 2019:

      I’m not sure I have done a particularly dangerous experiment, because even when you are using radiation or carcinogenic (cancer-causing) materials you are limiting your exposure and wearing safety equipment, so you are not really in danger.

      I guess when I volunteered in a Ghana I experienced a dangerous situation, at I was in a rural village and got malaria and I was hours away from the nearest hospital. It was quiet scary, but luckily I received good treatment and got better. I think that must have been the most dangerous thing I have done, but if you take precautions like bed nets and take anti-malarial medication you can dramatically reduce your risk.

    • Photo: John Paterson

      John Paterson answered on 14 Jun 2019:

      I don’t know whether many of my actual experiments have been dangerous.. I’ve used plenty of dangerous chemicals but you always use them under controlled conditions. Some of the places where I have done my experiments have been a bit dangerous though – a couple of years ago I was researching mosquitoes in the rainforest and I had to do a lot of walking through thick rainforest on my own. One day I almost trod on a snake called a fer-de-lance that I later found out was really venomous and could have killed me!

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