Fig 5: Presenting research on Radiation Chemistry Automation at UoM Physics Undergraduate Conference 2024. Bottom - My science persona 'Felix' at the Manchester Anime and Gaming Convention 2023.
Content Creation Links:
PASS (Peer Assisted Study Session) Leader (University of Manchester)
At the University of Manchester, I was a PASS leader for two years. Along with fellow co-leaders, I helped encourage 1st year students once a week to discuss the topics they find most challenging, and facilitate their understanding of physics. The jump from A-Level to 1st year university can be challenging for many, as such we provided a very holistic service, giving support to students on both academic and non-academic, matters. Click here to find out more about PASS at the University of Manchester.
Online Content Creation
For years I have created content online on an ad-hoc basis. Previously, I used my own face to present on my videos, however in more recent years I have swapped to using a persona called "Felix". I regularly attend events in the North West as Felix, so you can nearly always catch me at a comic or anime convention.
Content as Myself (2019 -> 2020)
I stopped creating content as myself in 2020. However, during the few years I was active, my content was mainly on radiation and high voltage. I created videos of engineering projects that I had devised, where I created an X-Ray machine, and on my personal TikTok I synthesised serotonin by decarboxylating 5-hydroxytryptophan dissolved in turpentine.
Content as Felix (2022 -> Present)
In 2022 I started creating scientific content again as Felix Furritus, a physics loving ferret character. Most of the content I create with Felix is short-form and can be found on Felix's TikTok. I cover topics mostly regarding radiation, and nuclear physics as I believe these are interesting and accessible topics for short-form media.
On Felix's YouTube channel, I seldom upload, however I am nearly always working on a video in my free time. Often videos are partially completed and then side-lined as I focus on my studies. Whereas TikToks can be made from conception to completion in a few hours, YouTube video creation spans many months, and so projects are rather infrequent. See below for the list of videos I am currently working on:
- "The universe as a bunch of springs": Explores how we can use Taylor expansions to approximate any arbitrary potential, with at least one minima, as a spring -> applications to atomic physics, quantum mechanics, etc.
- "The Finite Problem": Investigates integer overflow errors in embedded systems. Case study of the Ariane V88 crash. Why don't we run into integer overflow errors in mathematics? -> group theory, vector spaces, low level programming.
