Riddhi Ghosh

PhD student
EQUS
Macquarie University
Road-tripping Sydney to Bendigo (2022)

What do you do?

When you take an object and keep dividing it into smaller and smaller parts, at one point you end up with something so small that you can no longer divide it. Everything around us is made up of these small particles. Now, being so small, we cannot really see these. What I do is try to find ways to know about these tiny particles and work out theories to control them.

How did you get to where you are today?

As a kid, I had a lot of questions about nature and things that happen around us. I realised, with help from my teachers, that a lot of these questions can be answered by physics. This motivated me to learn as much physics as my little self possibly could.

As is true with any other subject that one puts all their heart into, the deeper I delved into physics, the more I started loving it. I decided to pursue a bachelor’s, followed by a master’s in physics. It was during masters that I grew fond of quantum physics—a highly counterintuitive theory that explains certain phenomena that appear to be magical, and yet somehow works.

What’s the best thing about your role?

My typical day always involves learning something new, be it about science or general knowledge. I get to meet new people regularly and learn not only about their research but also their views on varied stuff. Any research involves working on something that no one has worked on before. I find this exciting that I might know something that no one else does yet.

What advice would you give to someone considering studying science?

Be curious. Keep up the inquisitiveness. Half the job is done when you ask the right questions, the remaining half would only be to figure out the answers 😉

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I like to paint and enjoy experimenting with different paint media. My recent interest includes digital painting. I also enjoy travelling and exploring new places. Being a foodie, I like cooking and have been refining my culinary skills every now and then.