Profile
Lin Marvin
My CV
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Education:
Hamilton Comprehensive, Leicester
Wyggeston Collegiate 6th form college,
Derby University -
Qualifications:
O levels – English, Biology, Geology, Chemistry
CSEs – Maths, PE
A levels – Geology, Biology, Psychology
BSC Earth and Life Studies -
Work History:
Clerical Assistant at BT,
Shop Manager at LOROS charity shop,
Various temporary jobs as a clerical assistant,
Worm farmer -
Current Job:
XRF and SEM technician
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About Me:
I am a technician mainly working in a lab using analytical instruments but they do let me out occasionally on fieldwork. Combine that with working backstage in a theatre and that may explain my Demonstration Technician role on the Ri Christmas Lectures.
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I live in Leicester with my partner. We have 2 chinchillas called Stan and Ollie who are 2 years old and very naughty but lovable. We also have a tropical fish tank with 10 dwarf catfish, 3 guppies and 5 tetras. I love wildlife and have a trial camera set up in my garden to video the hedgehogs (5 at the last count) and the fox that visit every night. I made a feeding station for the hedgehogs out of a box so I can put food out for them without the neighbourhood cats tucking in. We also sponsor a Cornish seal, a guide dog and a moon bear in Vietnam as we both love all animals but don’t have enough room in the house!
I love walking and try to get out into the countryside as often as I can. I have been on walking holidays in Spain, Italy and Greece (walking the Samaria Gorge in Crete). Wildlife photography is also an interest so try to combine this with the walking.
I read a lot, mainly crime books or autobiographies, and like doing jigsaw puzzles. I belong to the Leicester Drama Society and work backstage building sets and doing scene changes. I go to night school to make things out of glass. -
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My work (long answer) Rock samples are crushed up and milled to a fine powder. We use this powder to make 2 different products that can then be analysed.
Some powder is mixed with a flux (a substance that helps it to form a glass) and is then melted in a platinum crucible at temperatures around 1200oC. When it is molten (looks like lava) it is poured into a mould and cooled quickly so that it forms a glass disc. We use this to analyse for elements that are abundant in rocks such as silica, aluminium, iron, magnesium. We also take more of the powdered samples and place it in a mould called a die which is then squeezed in a press. This makes a powder pellet which is used to analyse to elements that are present in rocks in lower levels such as nickel, copper, strontium, zinc.
These are analysed by directing x-rays at the glass bead or pellets. This excites the electrons and some electrons break away and are replaced by another electron. This action produces energy which can be measured and this helps to tell us what elements and how much are present (XRF).
I also look after students using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and also demonstrate on student fieldtrips. An SEM is a microscope which uses a beam of electrons instead of light to be able to magnify things up to scales of 40,000 times original size.
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My Typical Day:
My first job when i get to my lab is to check the XRF instrument and to download the results of the samples that will have been analysed overnight which I then process and email them to the researcher so they can work on them for their research. I will then clean all the equipment and benches ready for the new samples to be prepared. I will weigh rock powders ready for them to be made into glass beads and pellets.
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My job is to prepare samples and analyse them on the XRF or to train and supervise students on the SEM. However, no day is really typical. With masters students, postgraduates and academics all doing different research and needing different equipment I can be called to help them, instruct and train them on a number of different pieces of equipment at any time.
Usually I spend a couple of weeks every academic year with students on fieldwork helping to demonstrate geology in the field or using the portable XRF in evening sessions.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I want to buy equipment to make a demonstration which will show how electrons are excited by x-rays and how these are detected using XRF. This can then be used with our portable XRF machine to show the elements present in rocks or minerals.
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What I do to help Planet Earth:
I set up a wormery in my garden where all our food waste goes into to break it down into compost. We bought a machine that makes fizzy water and drinks so that we cut down on all the plastic bottles that supermarket soft drinks come in. This has cut down on our plastic use. We try to recycle everything we can and buy products that have the least amount of packaging. I am also trying to make my garden more wildlife friendly. I’m planting shrubs and bushes so that there are more places for animals to hide, building hedgehog houses so there are more safe places for them to hibernate during the winter and letting one corner of the garden go wild (which is also a good excuse to do less weeding)!
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The CHRISTMAS LECTURE related to my work:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000qpjk
I have a geoscience background so I was a runner on Chris Jackson’s Lecture 1, Engine Earth. Basically this meant that I helped put out the demos for the lecture at the right time in the right place. I also helped make some of the demonstrations for all 3 of the lectures along with the 2 other technicians and the Ri Demo team such as the fossil biasĀ demo in Lecture 1, the marine snow in Lecture 2 and carbon budget in Lecture 3.
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My Interview
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What did you want to be after you left school?
I wanted to be a PE Teacher but realised after completing my geology degree that I wanted to carry on working in geology doing more practical things such as lab work.
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Yes. I crushed up yellow love heart sweets and adding them to the sulphur in my test tube. Heating it on the bunsen burner filled the room with smoke! Please, please don't try this. It could have been potentially dangerous!
Who is your favourite singer or band?
The Police - my favorite band when I was a teenager and still listen to them and sing along (badly)
What's your favourite food?
veggie pizza
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