The term “mad scientist” is a fitting description of the CSIRO’s Dr Robert Bell, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science with honours in 1995 and a PhD in 2000.

As host of the Network Ten children’s science program Scope, he is constantly questioning how the world works, in his own unique way.

He has destroyed a perfectly good hair day to explain humidity, gone through boxes of chocolate biscuits to explain tsunamis and even eaten raw fish alongside seals to find out more about the animals.

“From your breakfast cereal to a nuclear reactor, the science can be really interesting, and that’s what we try and show, albeit in a sometimes off-beat and left-field manner,” he said.

“In the process, we try to break the stereotype that science is hard, abstract and that scientists are old men in lab coats whose research has nothing to do with the real world.

“By covering topics relevant to kids, I think we end up entertaining as much as educating, all of which I hope makes science look like a more attractive career option.”

Each week Dr Rob scopes out a different topic for his young audience. He has covered areas including “Will robots take over the world?”, “How do MP3s work?” and “Are there still animals on the Earth yet to be discovered?”.

“We try to present a balanced view on environmental topics,” he said.

“I suppose the best way to encourage children to get involved with such causes is to present the current state of affairs and let them decide what needs to be done.”

When he is not presenting Scope, Dr Rob works as a science education officer for the CSIRO, enticing and educating young minds in the many and varied scientific fields.

During his UQ studies, he held the prestigious title of President of the University’s Chocolate Appreciation Society, which boasted more than 700 sweet-toothed members.