How a 1-minute simulation changed my career path!

ByFarid Minawi

Back in 2005, when I was pursuing DEA in nanostructure, I was in a lecture about Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM). The professor had come from France and was speaking fast, fluent French—way beyond my basic understanding of the language. I was totally lost and frustrated.

Then, at the end of the session, she showed us a one-minute simulation. In that short moment, everything clicked. What I couldn’t grasp in an hour of spoken words became crystal clear through a simple visual demonstration.

That moment stuck with me. It showed me how powerful simulations can be in breaking down complex ideas. It’s the reason I decided to learn how to develop science simulations to make learning easier for others.

Sometimes, all it takes is one moment to change your path!

Computer simulation

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