Profile
Rosie Hayward
My CV
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Education:
The Gilberd School, Colchester, Followed by The Sixth Form College, Colchester.
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Qualifications:
I have 11 GCSEs A*-B. The B was in Music! My A-level results were: A – Physics, A – Maths, B – Further Maths, B – Philosophy. I have a first class MSci in Physics from the University of Bristol.
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Work History:
I have had summer research placements in physics in the past, but I have also worked in cafes and restaurants, and had a few odd jobs.
I managed the physics cafe (Physbar) while in my final year of university. It was a voluntary role, but I got free coffee and snacks, which to me was definitely worth it!
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About Me:
I am a PhD student in theoretical physics. My research has spanned many things from optics, to gravitational waves, to AdS/CFT. I love coffee and recently purchased bright yellow roller skates.
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I live in Edinburgh with my partner, Harry. We have a lot of plants! We are both vegetarian and enjoy cooking together. We often try to cook food from all around the world. We go bouldering or rock climbing together every week.
I enjoy reading, drawing and painting, playing guitar, video games and boardgames, and crosswords. I love my friends very much, and I spend time with them often.
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I have worked on three different areas of physics during my PhD, but they are all somewhat related.
The first area is analogies between optics, which is the physics of light, and other theories, like particle physics theories. An analogy is a comparison between one thing and another, so when we talk about analogies between physical theories, we mean we are comparing them and looking for similarities, usually so we can use one to help explain the other.
The second area is gravitational waves. I started researching gravitational waves looking for similarities between them and optical waves, but my work ended up being just on gravitational waves. They still have many similarities with optical waves: both types of waves travel at the speed of light!
The last area is something called AdS/CFT. This is a particular holography theory. A holography theory is when there is a correspondence between a theory of space time and a quantum field theory. Through holography, you can use gravitational physics to find out things about materials, even though both are seemingly unrelated! I just just started working in this area, and I really enjoy it.
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My Typical Day:
At the moment, my typical day is spent writing my thesis. This is the final document I need to write to complete my PhD, and it is very long. I have just started, so I will be doing this for a while. I take regular breaks, and may spend some time researching new physics or communicating science to the public.
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Before I began writing my thesis, my typical day would start with checking my emails and the news, while drinking a cup of coffee. I am very lucky, and have lots of flexibility when it comes to when or where I work, so I will often work from home or at a coffee shop.My desk at home is under a sunny window with lots of plants, but that doesn’t mean I can always focus! I typically go to the office once or twice a week.
I will often make a list of the things I need to get done that day, and then work on them. This helps me prevent myself from distractions. For research, I will have to read a lot of papers on physics, which are related to whatever I’m working on. I might spend some time trying to solve a mathematical problem on paper, or writing a simulation on a computer. I’ll often discuss the physics I’m working on with my supervisor and the other PhD students in my research group, which helps us all make sense of our work.
I like to spend some days on outreach and public engagement, as I really enjoy communicating science. During term time, I’ll also assist with university teaching. I am a lab demonstrator, which is quite funny seeing as I am a theorist, and I’ve had to learn all the experiments so I can help the students with them.
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
I love avocados!
What did you want to be after you left school?
After sixth form, a physicist. After secondary school, something in art or design.
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Yes, but very rarely.
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Blondie.
What's your favourite food?
Paneer Butter Masala with a garlic naan. Or black dal.
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
I wish for a garden which is in the sunshine. I wish for more plants. I wish for all my plants to stay alive.
Tell us a joke.
Entropy isn't what it used to be.
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