Fancy a Pint of Science?
Yes, the event I attended was the "Pint of Science" festival. The aim of this event was to bring science to the masses, in a laid-back environment. But where can you find an environment that is laid-back, but serious enough that people will pay attention? The pub of course! By having researchers and academics talk about their work in a pub, the gap between the universities and the general public shrinks. Plus, by going to one of these events, you might even learn something!
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| The logo was a pint glass with glasses and a brain! |
The nights I attended were part of the Manchester physics and chemistry branch, being held in the English Lounge, in the Northern Quarter. However, there were nights running simultaneously across Manchester, on a variety of topics. The main set up of the evening was that there would be a introductory talk about the subject at hand, followed by the main talk of the evening. These were always followed by a Q&A session, which could get a bit dynamic, especially later on in the night!
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| Dr Jon Hargreaves giving the introductory talk about acoustics. Look at how captivated the audience are! |
The first night I attended was all about acoustics, with the main talk from Professor Trevor Cox of the University of Salford. He spoke about his travels across the world, finding and recording the strangest sounds he could find. This ranged from the call of seal (recorded underwater) to a record-breaking echo! The second night was about nuclear waste, with a talk all about the subject, the stigma and the issues surrounding the topic, given by Matt Gunther, who runs a blog all about the subject (here). His Q&A session quickly became a discussion, amongst the audience, all about nuclear power. This really showed how passionate people could get about science and it was fantastic to see.
How much?
Each night was ticketed, at a cost of £2 a ticket. This fee wasn't to make a profit, as any money gained is reinvested back into future events and the nights are organised and run by volunteers. Taking these facts into account, you can see that the each night was very good value.
Where and when?
Pint of Science was an international event, held in 8 countries over 3 nights. This was the 19th-21st May. In the UK it was held in Cambridge, London, Oxford, Manchester, Bath, Bristol, York and Glasgow, but it has plans to expand further into more cities and countries, so watch this space!
