The most important traits a scientist can possess are curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. So when Iain was given a 26 volume set of the Children’s Encyclopedia Britannica at the age of 9, it allowed him to learn a myriad of fascinating facts that opened up a world of wonder and fuelled a lifelong desire to learn more and share it with other people. For example, did you know that the weight-bearing shoots that support the boughs of a banyan tree grow from the top of the tree downwards to the ground, rather from the ground up? Isn’t that extraordinary?
Like many who grew up watching Space Shuttle launches live on TV in the 1980s, Iain wanted to become an astronaut when he grew up (and he still does), which meant that there was only really one science that he needed to study to follow the traditional path from civilian, via RAF test pilot, to astronaut: Physics.
Iain graduated from the University of Leicester in 1997 with a BSc (Hons) degree in Physics with Space Science & Technology, though sadly was never able to become a test pilot, due to a deterioration in his eyesight while studying at university. After working in industry for over a decade, he decided to retrain as an educator in 2009, specialising in teaching A-level Physics.
He is continually motivated to help students achieve their goals to study Physics and Engineering at university and in 2025 started a podcast to support students studying A-level Physics. Called The Equations Are Your Friends, it aims to help students understand that the underlying mathematics in physics is to embraced rather than feared. Iain is currently writing a companion textbook to the podcast that will be made available for free for all A-level students.