NEWS

This year holds a special treat for me, an excuse to get historical with my science. 2015 is the 350th anniversary of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, the longest running, dedicated science journal. My contribution to the celebrations is a new show, ‘Subliming the Ridiculous’.

In a flashback to 1665 the show focusses on the transition from alchemy to chemistry. As well as highlighting the good discoveries made in a period when few had a knowledge of science ,we peel back the veil of alchemy and the belief in the classical elements of earth, air, fire and water of the ancient Greek. Each element is disproved by a series of demonstrations and the characters who revealed the new knowledge.

Continue reading “Subliming the Ridiculous”

I was excited by the opportunity to contribute to a science play, written by a colleague Rowena Fletcher-Wood, as I mentioned in the last news I posted. We are now much further down the line and performances begin this week. We have a director from the Globe Theatre and a cast of actors, not scientists. It is this last element that has been one of the most rewarding aspects for many reasons.

Continue reading “Trusting Atoms”

Recently I attended the BSA Science Communication Conference in Guildford and was delighted to meet up with friends and make new ones. The programme was very well constructed. Alongside Corrine Burns, Heather Williams, Laura Winkless and Suze Kundu, I talked on the panel about ‘Representing Women in Science Outreach’. Corrine wrote up our experience for the Guardian. There are also many good practice guides about addressing gender stereotypes produced as part of the HESTEM programme. You can access links to them here.

Continue reading “Playing With Science”