SCIO is excited to be including STEM subjects formally in its programme from 2018 on. In previous years it has in some instances been possible to arrange STEM tutorials on a case-by-case basis. In an interview for SCIO, one alumnus, Luke Arend, reflects on his time at Oxford, where he took STEM tutorials in philosophy of psychology and neuroscience/philosophy of science, and quantum mechanics. Luke now works as a neuroscience researcher at MIT’s Center for Brains, Minds and Machines, and in his interview, he explains how his time at SCIO prepared him for a research career and the significant impact it had on him as a young academic and scientist:
My STEM coursework changed the way I do physics: I’ve since viewed quantitative problem-solving not as mere number-crunching, but as argument-building – granted, using mathematics rather than written language. As a double major in physics and philosophy, my time at Oxford helped me realize that both disciplines rely on similar methods of critical thinking and argumentation.
Read more about SCIO’s opportunities in STEM and the full interview with Luke here.