The "Ask Characters Questions" Meme 2: The Sequel!

[clear-horizons.livejournal.com]

Is this really necessary? You've already done one of these— oh, fine.

Post here, and answer questions that are asked of you. Enjoy yourselves.

Comments

[morphitudinous]

I'm available to answer inquiries. As long as they're not about the silliness of my uniform. Wyn.

[starlightace]

What appeals to you so much about science and engineering?

[morphitudinous]

I...actually, I haven't thought about this in a while.

I guess it started when I was a small child. Dad would take me to the science museum on the weekends, and I always wanted to know everything I could about what I was looking at. Everything was fascinating---I wanted to build those things for myself.

Soon, I was looking for things around the house to experiment on. After school, I would go to the library and bring home piles of engineering books. Dad would come home and find me on the carpet with tools in hand, attempting to piece together the scanner I'd just taken apart. It was around then that I was given my own laboratory in the garage.

I suppose I'm motivated by an intense curiosity about the world.

[starlightace]

I can admire that - always wanting to know how and why things work.

It's good that you have such a passion that drives you, I think.

[madeofwyn.livejournal.com]

Well, it is very silly. And impractical. And spandex. What was the first thing you ever built?

[morphitudinous]

It's perfectly functional, thank you. And still not spandex, no matter what you choose to believe.

My first project...as I recall, I was approximately four years old. My parents had given me a toy for Christmas. I believe it was a Captain Supernova figure from one of my favorite cartoons. On the TV show, he had an ability that caused a brilliant light to form between his hands.

Naturally, the toy had no such ability. I was disappointed until I discovered some old but functional Christmas lights that my family had thrown away. Somehow, I instinctively knew how to rewire the lights once they were disassembled. I placed my new light between its hands, sloppily wired it alongside the arms, and added a trigger switch in the back from something else that had been discarded. My parents immediately confiscated it, fearing that I had created a danger to myself.

That, of course, wouldn't come until later.

[madeofwyn.livejournal.com]

You just keep telling yourself that.

I'm on your parents' side this time; melted plastic hurts. ... although it's not as if that's ever stopped me before.

I think my first project was a robot made out of an old remote-controlled car, my brother's stereo, and an old phone I found in my aunt's pub's cellar. It wasn't a very good one, I have to admit, but I was proud of it. Da, on the other hand, had a bit of a panic, because normal five-year-olds don't make functioning robots.

And I'm fair sure Ilann punched me for taking apart his stereo.

[morphitudinous]

I haven't always been the smartest of people. After that, I was introduced to the properties of physics and safety precautions very quickly. When I'd checked out all the books in the library and self-taught as many concepts as I could, they were satisfied enough to trust me with my own laboratory in the garage.

Those were the more normal projects that my parents introduced me to after some long lectures. If we'd been friends back then, I'd definitely build one to stand with yours.

He punched a five year old? As annoying as your 'alterations' of his property might have been, nothing excuses that behavior.

[madeofwyn.livejournal.com]

You got your own lab? Lucky. I got to use the pub's cellar, when whatever I was building wasn't liable to explode, and 'borrowed' one of the labs at the Imperial College when it was. ... I got very well acquainted with the science buildings of the Imperial College.

He was seven, it was a brand-new stereo, I hit him back, and we both got in trouble. It really wasn't an issue-- although he did get in more trouble than I did.