I goal in life is to one day be a physics researcher.

What I love most about

the field is its commitment to distilling the universe to its simplest form,
revealing its inherent beauty and elegance.

I understand that the National Physics Laboratory is renowned for its

precision measurement and helping maintain and define the base SI units
as well as key physical constants. I had before always used these
fundamental units of things like mass and time without really thinking
about where they come from or how they are defined. I always thought it
was quite interesting that the kilogram was based off a few standard
blocks of metal around the world which were meticulously made and kept
in good condition. One of the things I hope to learn more about at NPL
Academy is how now with the new revision of the definition of the base SI
units after 2019, the kilogram is defined using the Planck’s constant or
how now the metre which is based off of a fraction of the distance
travelled by light in a vacuum over a given period time is measured.

My goal in life is to become a physics researcher, and what I love most

about the field is its commitment to distilling the universe to its simplest
form, revealing its inherent beauty and elegance. I especially interested in
how the incredible complexity of the world around us can be distilled into
basic concepts and rules which make up reality.

I understand that the National Physical Laboratory is renowned for its work
in precision measurement, maintaining and defining the base SI units, and
establishing key physical constants. Before learning about NPL, I had
always used units like the kilogram or the metre without considering
where they came from or how they were defined. I found it particularly
interesting that the kilogram was once based on carefully maintained
metal blocks around the world. One of the things I hope to learn more
about at NPL Academy is how, with the new revision of the definition of
the base SI units after 2019, the kilogram is defined using the Planck’s
constant or how the metre, which is based off of a fraction of the distance
travelled by light in a vacuum over a given period time, is measured to
such high precision.

One of my most difficult yet rewarding experiences was a group research

project with the Institute for Research In Schools, analysing real LHC data
to rediscover the Higgs boson. After many setbacks, we detected it
through its bottom quark decay. It was an incredibly thrilling and
intellectually fulfilling moment made possible through our teamwork and
resilience. I have also started my own Engineering Club at my college,
where we organise weekly sessions with short lessons combined with
hands-on projects. We most recently have made a lot of progressive
creating a robot to compete in the Student Robotics Competition at the
University of Southampton. We are also working on another project where
we are using a type of camera sensor and adjusting its sensitivity to
create a makeshift cosmic ray detector. In addition, I completed an EPQ on
the stabilisation and aerodynamics of a model rocket, combining theory
with hands-on experimentation, and participated in a research project with
the Institute for Research in Schools, analysing real LHC data to rediscover
the Higgs boson. These experiences strengthened my analytical, problem-
solving, and teamwork skills and gave me insight into how physics
research is conducted in practice.

My goal in life is to become a physics researcher, and what I love most

about the field is its commitment to distilling the universe to its simplest
form, revealing its inherent beauty and elegance. I am especially
interested in how the incredible complexity of the world around us can be
reduced to basic concepts and rules that make up reality. Physics is I
believe a subject that allows me to ask the most questions about how and
why things happen and to explore them through both theory and
experimentation. I have always found physics challenging, but at the
same time, incredibly rewarding in discovering the hidden ways things
work and giving you a new perspective on the world.

I understand that the National Physical Laboratory is renowned for its work
in precision measurement, maintaining and defining the base SI units, and
establishing key physical constants. Before learning about NPL, I had
always used units like the kilogram or the metre without considering
where they came from or how they were defined. I found it particularly
interesting that the kilogram was once based on carefully maintained
metal blocks around the world. One of the things I hope to learn more
about at NPL Academy is how, with the new revision of the definition of
the base SI units after 2019, the kilogram is defined using Planck’s
constant or how the metre, based on the distance travelled by light in a
vacuum over a given period of time, is measured to such extraordinary
precision.

One of my most difficult yet rewarding experiences was a group research

project with the Institute for Research In Schools, analysing real LHC data
to rediscover the Higgs boson. After many setbacks, we detected it
through its bottom quark decay. It was an incredibly thrilling and
intellectually fulfilling moment, made possible through our teamwork and
resilience over a long period of time. In addition, I have also started my
own Engineering Club at my college, where we organise weekly sessions
with short lessons combined with hands-on projects. Though difficult
initially, I gained invaluable leadership and communication skills while
also sharing my enthusiasm for STEM which are important especially for
the field of physics and science in general due to its collaborative nature.
We have also recently made significant progress creating a robot to
compete in the Student Robotics Competition at the University of
Southampton, and we are working on another project using a special
camera sensor, adjusting its sensitivity to create a makeshift cosmic ray
detector. In addition, I am currently working an EPQ on the stabilisation
and aerodynamics of a model rocket, where I get to use physics taught in
the classroom in real life and has taught me how use physics in an
effective way in the real world

Through these projects and my own independent exploration, I have come

to appreciate physics not only as a subject but as a way of thinking—an
approach that challenges me to reason critically, experiment creatively,
and understand the world at a deeper level. NPL Academy represents a
unique opportunity to continue this journey, applying my curiosity and
skills to hands-on experiments, learning from leading scientists, and
exploring the fascinating precision and measurement that make physics
both elegant and impactful.

My goal in life is to become a physics researcher, and what I love most

about the field is its commitment to distilling the universe to its simplest
form, revealing its inherent beauty and elegance. I’m especially interested
in how the incredible complexity of the world around us can be reduced to
basic concepts and rules that make up reality. Physics, I believe, is a
subject that allows me to ask the most fundamental questions about how
and why things happen and to explore them. I’ve always found physics
challenging, but at the same time, incredibly rewarding, as it allows me to
uncover the hidden ways things work and gain new perspectives on the
world.

I understand that the National Physical Laboratory is renowned for its work
in precision measurement, maintaining and defining the base SI units, and
establishing key physical constants. Before learning about NPL, I had
always used units like the kilogram or the metre without considering
where they came from or how they were defined. I found it particularly
interesting that the kilogram was once based on carefully maintained
metal blocks around the world. One of the things I hope to learn more
about at NPL Academy is how, with the 2019 revision of the base SI units,
the kilogram is now defined using Planck’s constant, and how the metre,
based on the distance travelled by light in a vacuum over a given period
of time, is measured to such extraordinary precision.

One of my most difficult yet rewarding experiences was a group research

project with the Institute for Research In Schools, analysing real LHC data
to rediscover the Higgs boson. After many setbacks, we detected it
through its bottom quark decay. It was an incredibly thrilling and
intellectually fulfilling moment, made possible through our teamwork and
resilience over a long period of time. In addition, I’ve started my own
Engineering Club at my college, where we organise weekly sessions with
short lessons combined with hands-on projects. Though challenging
initially, I gained invaluable leadership and communication skills while
also sharing my enthusiasm for STEM. We’ve recently made significant
progress creating a robot to compete in the Student Robotics Competition
at the University of Southampton, and we are also working on a project
using a special camera sensor, adjusting its sensitivity to create a
makeshift cosmic ray detector. Moreover, I am currently working on an
EPQ on the stabilisation and aerodynamics of a model rocket, where I
apply physics taught in the classroom to real-world problems and learn
how to use these principles effectively in practice.

I hope to join NPL Academy 2026 to learn from real leading scientists
about how to pursue a career in physics. I am especially interested in
NPL’s work in the quantum fields and particle physics and would be
excited to know more of the research there. Being part of NPL Academy
would be invaluable to me in my future journey in physics and will
significantly contribute to my future ambitions. Thank you.