• Question: how many years have you been working on your project

    Asked by ojay123 to Alan, Caspar, Diana, Murray, Sarah on 23 Mar 2011 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Diana Drennan

      Diana Drennan answered on 18 Mar 2011:

      I started programming computers in high school. So, 30 years of that. I started using molecular modeling for my Ph.D. thesis, so 19 years of that. I started working here 8 years ago. I have a project that I started when I first got here that I’m still working on (and that have a few years to go yet before it hits the market), I’ve gotten many more projects over the years, and I just got a new project last month.

    • Photo: Alan Winfield

      Alan Winfield answered on 19 Mar 2011:

      I describe three big projects in my project. The first one, called ‘The Emergence of Artificial Culture in Robot Societies’ has been running since late 2007 and is now in it’s 4th and final year. The Symbrion project is almost at the end of its 3rd year, and has another 2 years to run. I’ve been working on the third project ‘Intelligent Robots in Science and Society’ for about 1.5 years, and it has another 1.5 years to go. In science and engineering research most projects last 3 or 4 years. The Symbrion project is unusual in lasting for 5 years – but it is very hard and we will need all of that time!

      Like most academics I’m under pressure to find the money for new projects to follow-on after these finish. That’s why, even though these 3 projects will keep me busy until 2012 and 2013, I’m already working very hard writing grant applications. That’s the least fun part of my job!

    • Photo: Murray Collins

      Murray Collins answered on 21 Mar 2011:

      Hi

      I have been working on my PhD for almost 1 year now. I have 2 and a bit years left to go!

      But I have worked for about a year in total in Indonesia, 6 months in Gabon, 3 years undergraduate training, 1 year Master’s degree training, and a lifetime of fascination in science!

      Bye!

    • Photo: Sarah Thomas

      Sarah Thomas answered on 21 Mar 2011:

      I’ve been doing my research for almost 2 years and i’ve got about 2 years left. PhDs are usually about 4 years long.

    • Photo: Caspar Addyman

      Caspar Addyman answered on 23 Mar 2011:

      My current time perception project took 18months of planning to work out the theory and ideas behind it and to put together a proposal to send to the English and French government to ask for money to do the experiments. They took another 6 months to decide that we could have money for 3years of research. But we have to wait a few more months before the paperwork is completed for that. So this particular project will take at least 5 years and possibly longer.

      Fortunately, we can work on many different projects all at once. I am currently writing a book about babies and what their early laughter means. It will take about 2 years to complete.

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