BIG e-news: Issue 9 - April 2009

Phew! National Science & Engineering Week is over - I hope you freelancers out there are weighed down with heavy pockets, and those of you in science centres are still mopping up after a huge influx of visitors.

Happy April Fools Day by the way! It's surprising how many mistakes and misconceptions get accepted as scientific truth - then linger for years after they've been disproven. We're talking popular scientific tales that turn out to be science fiction. And it's not just we regular folks who swallow this stuff, either. Scientists buy bogus explanations because they make sense - not because they've been proven. In fact, German physicist Max Planck said science only advances because older scientists refuse to accept new findings, but eventually die off. Think you're immune to science fables? Then take our "April Fool's" fact or fiction quiz below…

Sarah Vining, BIG Administrator

Science fable vs. science fact

True or False...?

1. No Nobel Prize is awarded for Mathematics because a mathematician was having an affair with Alfred Nobel’s wife.

2. The number of people alive today is greater than the number of people who have ever died.

3. The Coriolis force influences which direction water spirals down drains and sinks in different hemispheres.

4. Stars can be viewed during the day from the bottom of a well.

5. The Great Wall of China is the only man made object visible from the moon.

Get the answers!

BIG Event 2009

Savita Custead, Event coordinator

This year’s BIG Event takes place at the Royal Institution in London – one of the most famous buildings and historical sites of science communication in the UK.

BIG members will take over the building from July 22 to 24th for the Event’s now infamous mix of activities, which include:

• deeply engaging discussions and hard questions on the nature of public engagement and interactions with audiences
• opportunities to share ideas, tools and activities with other delegates through structured and informal networking sessions
• the most current and leading science shows in the UK – with an opportunity for a behind the scenes look
• practical sessions on every aspect of science communication and interactivity

One of the strengths of the BIG Event is the ability to provide a high quality professional development session for staff at all levels. Each year we get a mix of CEOs, senior managers, education staff, front of house staff, and those who are experiencing their very first science communication event.

For the first time, the BIG Executive has had to place a strict numbers cap on registrations for the Event – there has been a huge level of interest and excitement about bringing the conference to London. A draft programme will be released in mid April, and all details will be updated regularly in the website. Register now before it’s too late!

NEW EVENT! 'Activities for Teenagers' – BIG Skills day

Friday 8 May 2009, 9am - 5pm
at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh

This full day event is aimed at those planning to work with 14-16 yr olds. The day will consist of the opportunity to see new activities in action followed by discussion and top tips for working with this challenging age group.

The day costs £30 (including lunch) and is only open to BIG members. Book your place now at www.big.uk.com/events/teenagers/

An unusual day (or two) in my life

Steve Pizzey, Science Projects

Recently, I had the most wonderful few days away from my usual daily dose of paperwork, admin, grand plans and minor emergencies - all those things I vowed would never happen to me when I started up Science Projects.

I think everyone in our field must have noticed how the admin side has increased as the sector, as it is known has matured. After a lifetime of taking the credit for my colleagues’ ingenuity and skill I have made amends by actually building some exhibits myself. Admittedly they were simple enough, some upgraded light and colour exhibits for our travelling optics exhibition plus a cunningly designed light weight and light tight tent to show them and some of the earlier exhibits to best effect.

I was pleased with the way the frame worked out, a combination of design and evolution which works a treat, the four corners which support the roof being the exhibits themselves - how cunning is that. The idea came when setting out the exhibits and using them to prop up a few aluminium tubes to determine the best layout for the tent roof. The tent became an alluring shiny gold and black fabric pavilion and although the gold is a fire proofing layer and not a design statement it does convey a certain eastern promise and a hint of inviting mystery – hmm.

The exhibits themselves were modifications of four classic hands-on exhibits; ‘coloured shadows’ where three primary colours overlap to produce intriguing shadows; ‘glow paper’ which retained a shadow image after a short burst of illumination; a spark disc and finally ‘see stress’ revealed in polarised light. What was new was the use of high luminance LEDs for three of the exhibits with the promise of no more over heating halogen lamps, no more delicate fluorescent tube light boxes, no more temperamental flash units, no more flimsy flammable filters, just neat solutions all the way. I did blow one of the LEDs up by trying to see how bright it could go and then another because I forgot to reset the power supply, a sacking offence were I not the boss.

So, what was it that was so satisfying about this exhibit building process? Well first it was a very definable task, the exhibits had to be lightweight, foldable, easy to maintain and safe of course. The budget was minimal and everything had to be ready to go by a fixed date. The job to be done was to modify rather invent something entirely new and yet there was an opportunity to be inventive and satisfyingly cunning in a smug kind of way and it all worked! What’s more I had the pleasure of setting the exhibits up and nervously awaiting the visitors’ response.

Everyone should give exhibit building a try; it’s good for the soul and connects you with your public.

Meanwhile I had better get back to the day job before someone notices.

Molehill Media

Liz Newton, www.molehillmedia.co.uk

The first reaction of most people when I tell them that I’m in the process of setting up my own company usually ranges from mild surprise to outright disbelief. “What, in this economic climate? Are you mad?!”

Err, well yes, perhaps. Although judging by the rapid uptake of our services so far, there are plenty of organisations out there who appreciate this entrepreneurial leap of faith.

As a member of BIG, a UWE Science Communication MSc graduate and a self-confessed video geek, I’ve been itching to get out and start making science films for a while. Two years working for a wildlife television production company has given me the courage to take the first steps, so along with my colleagues Nadine Tayar and Lizzie Sutton, I began setting up Molehill Media.

We decided to specialise in promotional films for science and nature-based organisations. Given that all three of us have science and wildlife backgrounds, as well as seven years of production experience between us, we were confident that we could offer a valuable service.

It’s become clear that video is establishing itself as an integral part of the web. Go to any news website and you’ll see embedded, streaming video; go to an online magazine and you’ll see an associated YouTube channel; go to an expensive museum or zoo website and you’ll see a video podcast.

Therein lies the problem: online video is associated with prohibitive expense. However, it doesn’t have to be! Video production on a shoestring is possible, and quality doesn’t have to suffer – as we are succeeding in demonstrating.

Within our first month of trading, we have been commissioned to complete a promotional video for Geek Pop ’09 (a virtual ‘sci-pop’ music festival), two promotional films and some media training for the Avon Wildlife Trust website, and a promotional video for BBC Focus magazine. We’re also hoping to work with Pulse Project to get online some of the fantastic public lectures that Bristol has to offer.

On top of all of this exciting progress, we have been selected as one of ten finalists in the Striding Out ‘Big Leap’ Entrepreneur Competition 2009. This has given us the fantastic opportunity to attend an Apprentice-style ‘boot camp’ in London, and has provided us with access to business mentoring and the chance to win a meeting with potential investors.

The future looks promising for Molehill Media, and our aim to be the industry leader for video production in science communication looks like it might be possible one day. For now, I get to turn my favourite hobby into a successful business, and produce great videos for organisations that I really care about. So even in this economic climate, I can’t be that mad…

BIG International exchange proposes going small

Helen Lloyd, Science Made Simple.

You may remember a while back that I was trying to organise an international exchange programme for science communicators, especially science presenters.

Since then, things have changed a bit and the plans are adapting accordingly.

Aside from the sudden outbreak of pregnancy at science made simple HQ, the wider world is also significantly different to when this idea was first discussed a year ago. In the current economical situation science centres in the US are laying off staff and closing and it’s unlikely that we will be able to get an international exchange off the ground this year. The bean counters are holding onto their cash, and those staff that remain are overstretched – people simply cannot spare the time to take part. Pacific Science Centre, one of the keenest participants has already laid off 8% of its staff, with others working unpaid hours. Other organisations find themselves in a similar position at the moment.

As an alternative I propose a similar scheme within UK science communication organisations, along the same lines but for a shorter period of time. If this is a success, hopefully with some evidence of the benefits behind us we can approach going international again.

The thinking behind such a scheme is still much the same, albeit on a smaller scale. Science show presenters and floor staff in science centres and museums are often overlooked for professional development as they are seen as transitory staff with a high turnover. Science centres and museums often feel that money expended in training these staff is not recouped as they move on to ‘better’ jobs. However, staff are more likely to stay in their jobs for longer if they feel valued, and are also likely to progress through roles in the science centre, thus passing on their expertise.

An excellent way of encouraging professional development is to enable staff to visit other centres, and observe other science presenters and floor staff at work. This way best practice can be shared across the science communication community.

Therefore I am proposing an exchange of 5-7 days between organisations, in late summer/early autumn this year... The financial cost to the organisations would only be the travel expenses of their staff, and the time involved. Exchangees could be hosted in the homes of the host organisation’s staff, and subsistence would be covered by participants themselves. The benefits are clear – freshly inspired presenters full of new ideas, and new ways of approaching old scenarios. This benefits the whole organisation as it filters through as well, not just the member involved.

If your organisation is interested in hosting a presenter, and sending one of your presenters to have a different experience elsewhere, then please contact me on helen@sciencemadesimple.co.uk.

Marie Curie: Blurring the subject boundaries

Noel Jackson, Centre for Life

The Marie Curie project was a Welcome-funded collaboration between the Centre for LIFE and the foreign-language theatre company Theatre sans Frontieres which used drama to explore science, ethical issues, history and French language and culture with classes of year eight students.

Research has shown that the most difficult subjects at GCSE level and sciences and languages. In the past bright pupils were often segregated into science and language streams but the close parallels between the intellectual processes needed to succeed in both subjects mean that this separation is probably misguided. Both have things which have to be remembered (facts/vocabulary) and both have rules by which the basic information is manipulated (laws/grammar). Both need a nimble mind when the information has to be put to use (in investigations or real-life situations).

The project had four distinct sessions:

1. An introduction to the cultural and scientific life of Paris in 1898 and some discussion of the reasons why Marie Skladowska had to move to France to pursue here studies. In French with some English

2. A separation of mixtures investigation led in French.

3. Creation of a series of short plays to explore Marie Curie’s life (in French)

4. Ethical discussion of advantages and problems of radiation using dialogue activities (in English).

Marie was played by Sarah Kemp, artistic director of Theatre sans Frontieres and Pierre was played by a Francophone actor who originally trained as a scientist. I played the role of a Dutch lab technician which gave some excuse for any errors or mispronunciations in my French.

So did it work?

We pursued this project in the face of much scepticism and we are delighted to say that it was a success and most children found the experience very rewarding. Comments included

"It’s more like how you would use the subjects in real life."

"More fun because it kept your attention and you're not just sitting in a classroom."

"You challenge yourself to try to understand the language and do the science."

Of course, there were several students who found the whole thing confusing and we learnt some important lessons about the collaboration as the project progressed. The most important was to stress that the day was about using the bits of language and bits of science that they had to best effect. They needed reminding that context very often provides a wealth of clues to aid understanding and they particularly needed to be told that it was OK to make mistakes.

The feedback data are yet to be fully analyzed but we believe that they show that the project worked best with more able students who were able to cope with the demands of being creative in more than one subject at once. We saw the shutters come down when some less able students were asked to think about how they would separate a quaternary mixture or try and understand a simple dialogue.

Is the project sustainable?

Probably not. A French-speaking actor is not the sort of thing one has on tap so projects of this nature will only ever be special events. However, individual activities within the programme are certainly usable and the separation of mixtures investigation is likely to become a standard LIFE workshop and we are likely to offer the discussion activity to schools as a stand-alone dialogue activity.

Both Theatres sans Frontieres and LIFE are keen to work together again though this will depend on funding opportunities. There is little German spoken in the North-eastern schools so it is likely that we would look for a French connection in any future collaboration. We believe that vulcanology may provide a suitable topic.

From Rags to Riches

Natasha Verniquet, Science Oxford

The Oxford Trust, Science Oxford, Hands On, STEM Point, they say a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

Tucked away in Oxford is a unique enterprise, a trust set up to engage and enrich science and public interaction. However as our group has grown, so too has the number of names by which we are known.

Enter a new CEO (Ian Griffith) in Summer 2008, and full of fresh ambition we embarked on a £200,000 renovation project.

We closed down our corporate hire, our exhibition space for adults, our science centre for families and in two months with the contracted help of Haley Sharpe Design completely redesigned the way we use our space.

One of the biggest changes was too the family gallery, which until the renovations had required families to drag pushchairs and children up two flights of stairs, to the well-hidden location.

Although the old centre had wonderful exhibits and our visitors were routinely surprised by how long the children managed to stay engaged (roughly 2 hours for a space with only 32 exhibits), many of our exhibits were looking their age.

In the new centre families can walk in off the street, we now have wireless internet and 50 pence coffee to encourage students and young people to hang out in our space.

But the best thing of all is that we now only have four names: Science Oxford Live (Public Engagement), Science Oxford Next (Schools), Science Oxford Networks (Businesses) and Science Oxford Online.

BIG People: Ian Russell

Job: I think I might be an informal science communicator, or an interactive exhibit designer, or an interactive exhibit fabricator, or a science show presenter, or a science communication consultant. But really, I still haven’t decided what to be when I grow up.

A typical day at work consists of

…nothing that’s in any way typical. A lot of time at my desktop computer (or laptop if it’s warm outdoors: see below), doing email, or working on a Word document or a 3D CAD drawing. Or talking on the phone, or getting my hands dirty in the workshop of the nearby firm that makes most of my exhibits. Or typing some distant postcode into the Sat Nav and loading my long-suffering estate car with the huge amount of heavy equipment and weird collection of objects needed for an Exploding Custard or Blown-up Biology show.

What got you into this career?

Basically, the answer has to be fish. Utterly entranced by Jacques Cousteau and Hans Hass on TV I got an honours degree in marine zoology, taught for a couple of years, failed to complete a PhD in oysters’ livers, then fulfilled my dream of setting up public aquarium displays of native British marine life. I learned how to mix concrete, handle large sheets of glass, construct gravel filter beds and design interpretive graphics. For ten years we obtained specimens with rod and line, SCUBA-diving, seine-netting and going out with inshore fishing boats. I discovered a powerful inner compulsion to share my delight in the mysterious beauty of marine life with holidaymakers who had no idea it even existed. I switched over to the exciting, new, hands-on science centre movement as soon as it got going in Britain in the mid to late 1980’s. That same inner compulsion grew stronger than ever. To me, engaging the public with science will always feel like standing beside them in front of a carefully designed aquarium in which every marvel of the universe swims.

What is the best thing about your job?

The creativity. Plus the lack of routine, unpredictability and uncertainty.

... and the worst?

The lack of routine, unpredictability and uncertainty.

What is your favourite meal?

Fish, chips and mushy peas, well prepared, with a pint of beer, in a cosy pub. Forget all that other pretentious stuff on the menu.

What is your favourite smell?

Bog myrtle (Myrica gale), on a still summer day in wild, open moorland.

What talents do you possess?

The ability to think like a child when necessary.

What talents would you like to possess?

The ability to think like a grownup when necessary.

Which actor do you think should play you in the film of your life?

Definitely Colin Firth (‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’, ‘Mamma Mia’ etc.) He always seems to play roles in which he looks slightly awkward and uncomfortable: as if he doesn’t fully understand how he’s come to be there, what is going on, and what he’s supposed to be doing about it.

Which living person do you most admire and why?

My wife, Andrea. She has all the personal qualities I ought to have, but lack, yet still puts up with me.

Most beautiful place on earth?

The tiny, sheltered, overgrown, south-facing patio at the top of our steeply sloping front garden, on a reasonably sunny day. Seated at the little wooden table, I can watch my neighbours coming and going to the background road and rail sounds of the small Peak District mill town where I live. Dogs yap, car engines start, children play and birdsong drifts from several nearby trees. Fascinating insects I try hard to identify are busy doing inexplicable things among the surrounding garden plants whose names I can’t be bothered to remember. This is my corner of the universe and I work there whenever the weather lets me.

What is your Motto for life?

There has to be more to life than a motto. OK, how about, ‘Eternity has already started. This is not a rehearsal.’

With best wishes from the BIG Executive 2008/09…

Noel Jackson, Chair
James Piercy, Vice-Chair
Rachel Mason, Treasurer
Natasha Verniquet, Secretary
Savita Custead, Event Organiser
and Sarah Vining, Administrator

Contact BIG