1 8
S A L T U S M A G A Z I N E
The physics of fast cars ignited Peter Cooper's imagination when he paid a visit to a
Formula One factory in Britain last year. It also helped focus his career aspirations.
"I decided to go for Mechanical Engineering," he says, "and the automotive industry
definitely seems a very cool thing to get into--perhaps combined with renewable
energies." Peter, who needs a top score of "5" in Physics, Maths and Biology AP
exams to get accepted by his first choice, University of Loughborough, UK, thrills to
the challenges of neutrons and dark matter and jokingly says some of his best
Saltus memories stem from hours in science labs "generally lighting things on fire."
Physics and Computer Science are his core subjects. "I guess I'm good at
problem-solving. I can think my way around a problem--how to get past things.
Computer Science employs the same kind of thinking: this is what I have to
do, this is what I have to do it with, how can I get it done?"
"There are a few students for whom an interest in science
stretches far beyond the classroom--Peter is like that," says
Physics teacher Steve Briggs. "He is never short of a great
question and genuinely grasps even the toughest of
concepts. He is the sort of home-grown talent Bermuda
can showcase around the world--he has an exciting
future ahead of him."
The roller-hockey enthusiast who works weekends
at Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo was nominated
in the Academics category of this year's Outstanding
Teen Awards. He predicts innovative green technologies
will revolutionise employment opportunities for young
engineers like himself in the next few decades.
"If you want to have a job, that's the area to target,"
he says. "It's one of the reasons I'm attracted to the
automotive industry--during the recession in the UK, it
was one of the only sectors to keep growing! I'm looking
forward to being part of that change."
THE PROBLEM-SOLVER
Peter Cooper
FUN FACTS
Nickname: "Coops"
AP subjects: English Language, Calculus, Physics, Biology,
Chemistry, Computer Science
Heading to: Loughborough or Brunel Universities, UK
Career dream: Mechanical engineer
Listening to: Green Day, AC/DC, The Black Keys, The Clash
Pet peeves: People mispronouncing words
Book: Maximum Ride
Little-known talent: Making scrambled eggs
Weak spot for: The underdog
Inspired by: Mr. Briggs
Couldn't live without: Magnets
Best Saltus memory: Lighting a five-gallon bottle of ethanol vapour,
causing three-foot flames to shoot out the top!