Jem Stansfield

Jem designs, builds and invents for a living. He has a degree in aeronautics and a seemingly bottomless knowledge of the principals of science. He's a qualified welder and builds almost everything by hand. So if anyone can, perhaps Jem'll fix it.

His 'can do/make do' attitude has led him to surf worldwide tubes and reefs on cheap hire boards, have fleeting success as a stand-up comic and enjoy life as a shepherd in outback Australia. Whilst studying and traveling, Jem's done a stack of jobs – everything from labouring in an abattoir to doing building work in a brothel.

With the skills in his hands to build many of the ideas in his head, he's had an interesting run of work over the past decade – creating special effects for movies such as Van Helsing, producing prominent installations for worldwide museums, and working on a ludicrous range of machines and gadgets for companies that need that kind of thing.

Jem's not a total stranger to TV either. He used to invent kids' dream gadgets on ITV's Home On Their Own; he was the man behind the machines and experiments on BBC2's Science Shack; he was a team advisor on Channel 4's Zero to Hero; and he was a regular behind-the-scenes engineering consultant on Scrapheap Challenge since being a young expert in 2001.

What sort of problems are you looking forward to tackling and people writing in with?

Stuff that we'd simply never have thought of. It would be good if between us, our clients and audience we started pushing things in some pretty unlikely directions.

What got you interested in science in the first place?

From a very young age I actually just loved trying to be clever. That progressed to being pretty good at maths and having an intense belief in scientific theory. Nowadays I've got more respect for experience and artistry.

What is your day job?

It often seems to be figuring out how to chew the amount I've just bitten off. Quite often I'll be asked if something can be made, I'll then excitedly discuss a possible solution and somehow find myself in the stark position of having to physically produce something I was only really speculating on in the first place.

What excites you in and out of science?

For scientific excitement you can't beat trying something for the first time. I like experiments that give you a similar feeling to kicking a football, when you know if your aim's slightly off you might break a window.

Why did you do Men in White?

Because a TV company will give me the money to use my hands to build the ideas in my head. It's like a dream ticket.

What was your first job?

Peeling potatoes for the family fruit and veg business was probably the first. Working in Wolverhampton's wholesale veg market gave my young life more early mornings than I'd recommend. But five ace summers running council play schemes were as good a job as I could ever want and more than balanced out the many factory shifts that tended to be the only available work during the other school holidays.

What was your first car?

I've never owned a car and as I now live in London I find it quicker to get places by bike.

Describe a time when you used science to impress a girl.

I once tried to impress my girlfriend by using a magnet to distort the faces on her mate's telly. It was all going really well until I removed the magnet and the picture remained twisted. Luckily my girlfriend saw the funny side but her mate has now emigrated to Australia. A coincidence I hope.

If you were (more of) a superhero, what powers would you have?

The ability to understand babies, because I'd love to know what those funny little fellows are really thinking about.

Of what achievement are you most proud?

I'm most proud of the amount of tricky situations I've got myself into and out of.

What did you do for your degree?

Aeronautics. But I didn't go to lectures because I had this great but naive plan that if I taught myself the fundamental laws of the universe I'd then be able to answer any question from first principals. After two and a half years of only a little success I gave up, went to my lectures and discovered that a degree was nowhere near as tricky as I was making it.

What gives you the biggest buzz?

On a daily basis, cycling through London to work. There's nothing that puts your life into perspective and makes you feel alive like a few near-death experiences just after breakfast.

What is your biggest fear?

I don't like being near the edge of platforms when express trains come through.

If you were an animal what would you be and why?

A working sheepdog. They absolutely love what they do and they're the animal I feel most similar to in character.

What one labour-saving device would you most like to create?

I'd love it if you could get all your nutritional and calorific needs from a single thing, like a healthy cigarette. I don't suggest that you'd have to smoke the cigarette, maybe you'd just eat or inhale it. Of course, it wouldn't have harmful tobacco in, but it'd be funny if for some reason it was the most handy shape it could be made in. Just think of the good stuff you could do with the time saved – no shopping, cooking or washing up.

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