The BIG AGM

Thursday 25 July
1:30 pm

BIG STEM Communicators Network operates as a not-for-profit organisation of members – a club, effectively; everything it does is to support the development of its members and the science communication profession in the UK and beyond. BIG's Annual General Meeting is held annually and gives members the opportunity to contribute; to understand what the Executive Committee has done for the membership over the last year; to help shape the future of BIG. This is also when the Executive Committee election results are announced and we'll congratulate this year's Beetlestone Award Winner, TBA. All BIG Members are welcome. The BIG Executive Committee 2021-2022

Ashley Kent, BIG
event@big.uk.com

Meeting for the Incoming and Outgoing Executive Committee

Thursday 25 July
2:30 pm

This is a session for the newly elected Executive Committee and the outgoing Exec. It's a mini-handover and only required for the Exec members.

Helen Nightingale, BIG
admin@big.uk.com

Best Demo Prep

Thursday 25 July
2:30 pm

This is a closed session, just for Best Demo competitors to set up and for helpers to help. Strictly no peeping in here, please. If you’re competing, you need to drop in, even if you don’t need any set up time.

BIG Exec Person,
event@big.uk.com

I Saw This and Thought of You

Friday 26 July

Back for the nth year running, the session to end all sessions (because it's the last session): I Saw This And Thought Of You. BIG's equivalent of an open mic slot, this is where all the little things can be raised. Found a Thing you think everyone should know? Tell us here. Want to share your love of all things plier-related? You could do that. Have a pithy insight? Want to raise a question? Newcomer or old hand, there's an up-to-2-minute slot with your name on it. Sign up throughout the Event.

Sam James,
drsamjames@gmail.com

#IAmRemarkable Workshop

not yet scheduled

Do you suffer from Imposter Syndrome? Do you find it difficult (even awkward) to talk about yourself? #IamRemarkable is a Google initiative empowering women and underrepresented groups to speak openly about their accomplishments in the workplace and beyond, thereby breaking modesty norms and glass ceilings. This workshop will also help "people of majority" become more aware of the gender and cultural norms that keep certain kinds of people from progressing and having their voices heard. Come to this workshop to feel more confident in yourself and learn how to better advocate for others.

Ashley Kent,
hello@ashleykent.co.uk

Is that Laser Legal?

not yet scheduled

It is cheaper to make dangerously powerful laser pointers than safe ones, so a fair proportion of those sold as safe are dangerously overpowered (often as invisible IR) Last time we ran this session we found about 10% were illegal and found a couple 10 times as powerful as advertised. We have a power meter to check your lasers are what they claim to be. Don't forget to pack your laser pointers.

Dave Ansell, Sciansell
dave@sciansell.co.uk

Planetaria 101

not yet scheduled

Have you ever presented inside a planetarium or projected dome, or are you looking to have a go at this in the future? Join the team to share best practice for presenting in this alternate, dark, dome-shaped environment, with parallels and contrasts drawn from more 'regular' presenting formats. Suitable for those who are completely new to presenting and/or planetaria, but also ideal for those who have experiences to share.

Emily Fisk, The Oxford Trust / Science Oxford
emily.fisk@scienceoxford.com
Matt Williamson Founder and Presenter Tayside Planetarium
TBC - Explorer Dome? Colin Hutchinson from Thinktank? Other BAP members?

LinkedIn 101

not yet scheduled

How can we make the most of this platform, both as individuals and organisations? What are the commons pitfalls and/or popular items? Come prepared with a device and account, ready to explore and put some tips and tricks straight into action.

Emily Fisk, The Oxford Trust / Science Oxford
emily.fisk@scienceoxford.com
Sophie Constantinou - TBC

Training researchers for sci-comm activities

not yet scheduled

Join the group to share experiences of training researchers who are new to science communication, to share the successes, pitfalls and innovations of our teachings. Be this for hands-on activities, science writing and/or digital communications, public engagement is now a key requisite for many researchers, and as the people who often lead the projects they are involved in, how can we make these interactions more effective and help both the public and researchers to gain more from their experiences? Open for co-leaders of this sessions.

Emily Fisk, The Oxford Trust / Science Oxford
emily.fisk@scienceoxford.com
Sarah Bearchell; Freelance Science Writer, Presenter and Trainer;

Vulnerabilities of a sci-comm professional

not yet scheduled

Join us/the panel, to share the vulnerabilities and worries that we have as sci-comm professionals, as we come together in a sort of sci-comm therapy session! From imposter syndrome and job security, to funding opportunities and networking, to dealing with disenchantment of our field - there are many things that sway our enjoyment and feeling of impact in our roles, but we are not alone. Hear from a few individuals about their experiences and the biggest breakthroughs they have had with overcoming fears, and share with the group any similar experiences you have also had. Open to co-leaders for this session =)

Emily Fisk, The Oxford Trust / Science Oxford
emily.fisk@scienceoxford.com
Sarah Bearchell; Freelance Science Writer, Presenter and Trainer;
Dr Matt Prichard; Freelance Curator of Wonder and Science Magician;

Playful Physics: Interactive Explorations

not yet scheduled

Us: ChatGPT, can you make us a kind of short description of a session for BIG similar to the things we’ve been doing on teacher workshops and sci.com. conferences lately? ChatGPT: Certainly! Here's a concise session proposal, incorporating your requests: Session Description: Dive into "Playful Physics," a compact, interactive session designed to ignite curiosity and demonstrate the fun side of physics. Inspired by the engaging approach of "Playful physics" and "Playful chemistry" courses at Jærmuseet, this session transforms exploration into play, inviting science communicators to discover physics through hands-on activities. Participants will navigate through various stations, each offering a unique, hands-on physics experiment. From exploring motion to unraveling the mysteries of gravity, these activities are crafted to encourage exploration, learning, and fun. The exact content of each station will be a delightful surprise, depending on the assortment of toys, rubbish, stationery, and more that we find on our way to Cardiff, ensuring a unique and creative learning experience. Who Should Attend? Ideal for science communicators and educators, this session is a perfect blend of learning and play, offering fresh perspectives on communicating physics principles in an accessible and engaging manner. Join us to explore the wonders of physics, where curiosity and creativity lead to unexpected learning and fun.

Magne Hognestad, Jærmuseet Science Circus
mho@jaermuseet.no
Fredrik Motland Kirkemo; Science Communicator; Jærmuseet Science Circus;

Have You Been Missold PPI?

not yet scheduled

Patient Public Involvement (PPI) roles are becoming increasingly common and are an important way of informing the biomedical research process. People working in science communication and engagement have key skills to tackle these jobs but may not consider applying for them. This session will explore what PPI is, why we do it, how it works, the key skills needed to facilitate good involvement and where PPI sits in the broader engagement landscape. A mix of talks and interactive group activities will explore how to increase Involvement, what stops patients taking part and the value of PPI to both research and researchers.

Hana Ayoob, Freelance / British Society for Immunology
hello@hanaayoob.co.uk
James Piercy, Science communicator, Trainer and Public Engagement Consultant,
Matthew Tosh, cardiomyopathy patient
Researcher with PPI experience

What does the UN think everyone should learn?

not yet scheduled

UNESCO have produced a new Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development, 50 years on from the previous version. This is an international legal document agreed by all 194 member states about what the most important things to learn are, at all ages and in formal and informal situations, to give our planet a brighter future. Imagine trying to agree on that... This session aims to start a lively discussion about what we think are the most important things to learn right now, find out more about the UNESCO Recommendation and Education for Sustainable Development and consider how we can support that in the work we do, and maybe make our own individual pledges for how we're going to make the world a better place by learning or teaching something new. (Seeking collaborators if anyone is up for this)

Naomi Foster, North Pennines National Landscape and UNESCO Global Geopark
naomi@northpennines.org.uk

How to showcase STEM careers in your sci comm

not yet scheduled

Working with schools, young people or teachers and want to build careers links into what you offer? In this participatory workshop, we will explore some of the best STEM careers resources. Key research underpins the need for STEM careers, science capital and using real life science contexts in inspiring and engaging young people. One of the most powerful interactions with young people is them discovering the stories and paths of how scientists got to where they are today - even if this isn't the primary aim of your session. Discover some excellent resources to use, adapt or create your own.

Jo Montgomery , Dr Jo Science Solutions
Drjo@drjosciencesolutions.co.uk

Science with a sheet of paper

not yet scheduled

Limited resources? No problem! In this hands-on, participatory workshop we will explore myriad different science demos, investigations and activities that can be carried out with a piece of paper! This workshop offers something for everyone, whether you’re new to BIG and science communication, or an experienced presenter, you will go away with a bank of ideas to use for low-resource demos and activities. Come along to try things out as we discuss how, when and where they could be used, and also suggest your own tweaks, ideas and alternatives to share ideas, best practice, co-create and all learn from each other.

Jo Montgomery, Dr Jo Science Solutions
Drjo@drjosciencesolutions.co.uk

Make your work come alive! – Animation in STEM

not yet scheduled

How can you travel back in time, zoom into DNA, or find pi by unravelling a circle’s circumference? Animate it! Find out how animation can open up a whole new world for your STEM communication with storytelling and exciting visual explanations. Discover the perfect technique to match your STEM topic and begin your animation journey by making your very own flipbook and zoetrope. I’ve been animating for over 10 years and have worked with popular SciCommers like Tom Scott and Hannah Fry. This hands-on workshop will help you start creating beautiful animations that will bring STEM to life.

William Marler, William Marler – animation and design
wm@wmad.co.uk

Science Capital, Equity and Social Justice: What do these things mean to us?

not yet scheduled

Lots of science communicators have come across the concept of Science Capital, whether in academic literature, science centres or even the programme for BIG events, but what does it mean in practice and how is it used? My Master’s thesis looked at how Science Capital was understood and applied by science education practitioners, and I want to present this work, but more importantly hear from the BIG community about how they consider equity and social justice in their work. This session should allow us all to reflect on our practice, and welcomes participants no matter their familiarity with the concept!

Amelia Doran, University of Oxford
ameliamdoran@gmail.com

Tackling Tricky Topics

not yet scheduled

All areas of STEM have topics which can be sensitive, controversial or just awkward to talk about. How can we approach these topics in more comfortable and productive ways? How do we empower those we work with to have more of these conversations? How and when do you decide when engaging is not worth your time and energy? During the session we will: · Talk about what makes topics sensitive or controversial · Share our own experiences · Discuss how to empower others · Use interactive activities and scenarios · Invite you to share your own experiences

Hana Ayoob, Freelance / British Society for Immunology
hello@hanaayoob.co.uk
Chris Snowden-Smith, Careers & Engagement Officer, British Society for Immunology,
Katie Steckles, Maths Communicator, Freelance,

Sharing the low hanging fruit

not yet scheduled

Every method of communication comes with a bunch of tips and tricks that seem obvious in hindsight and allow us to achieve better results with minimal effort. This session will bring together expertise from attendees to share those little game-changers that make everything better. From hidden features in PowerPoint to working with stage equipment or posting on social media, there are tonnes of simple things that could take years to figure out on your own but which could be explained to you in just a few minutes. Our goal is to do the latter!

Robin Hayward, University of Leeds
r.hayward@leeds.ac.uk
Sarah Cosgriff; Inclusion Consultant; Association for Science Education;
Em Truman; Regional Project Officer, National Space Academy,

What Do Science Festivals Want?

not yet scheduled

This session needs a brilliant panel chair (not me), a British Science Association rep, UK Science Festivals Network rep, some festival organisers and science show-talk-panel-comedy people (established and aspiring). Can BIG help sort that? Its a session I'd like to attend, rather than necessarily be on the panel for :) The festival people can tell us what their audiences want, so we can target our offer as presenters. The presenters can share what they have to offer and have in development. The session would help people already in this area and those who are considering a freelance career and need a bit of guidance on content, and the knowedge of how to get involved. Lets make the whole thing less intimidating and more transparent. It would also educate presenters as to what is out there so we can recommend others for work when asked. We've often discussed some sort of quality assurance thing for shows, but UK Science Festivals Network is surely the place to host this as a benefit for their members? Do they collate a list of shows recommended by their members? If not, why not? Can BIG help set one up? And make sure it includes people with a range of experience and backgrounds so festival visitors see a greater diversity in science?

Sarah Bearchell, Freelance
sarah@childrens-science.co.uk

RemakerSpace craft and chat

not yet scheduled

RemakerSpace is a Cardiff University not-for-profit initiative dedicated to enabling the circular economy, ending planned obsolescence by extending the lifecycle of products, and driving the circular economy in Wales and beyond. In this unstructured session, find out about our “Knit, Natter, Craft and Chatter" sessions; how and why we set them up; the challenges and the unexpected outcomes. Bring your own craft projects with you, including scicomm and personal crafts, and talk about them if you wish. Drop in and out as you want, join in the conversation, or just relax with us. You’re welcome to bring your lunch.

Rebecca Travers, Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University
TraversR@cardiff.ac.uk
Debbie Syrop, Public Engagement Officer, School of Engineering, Cardiff University,
Helen Obee Reardon, Charter Marks Project Manager, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Hub, Cardiff University,

Using ChatGPT to Communicate Science Effectively and Ethically

not yet scheduled

This workshop offers science communicators a transformative journey into ChatGPT. It is more than a surface-level introduction; it delves deep into ChatGPT, ensuring harnessing its capabilities both ethically and effectively. Participants will learn how to guide ChatGPT to produce the desired outputs and tailor its responses, ensuring the AI conveys scientific information in a precise, accurate, and engaging manner; in addition to critically discuss scientific information validation, AI-generated content biases, and other ethical considerations. By the end of the workshop, the participants will be equipped with a new tools and techniques to revolutionize their way communicating science through Artificial Intelligence.

Mohamed Elsonbaty Ramadan,
mohamed.elsonpaty@gmail.com

How curious is your brain?

not yet scheduled

Are we all born curious? What makes us curious? Evidence shows curiosity helps us to learn and remember things and is a skill that we need to harness and nurture in all our STEM activities. In this workshop, I am going to tell you a bit about the science behind the Curious Brain project, why and how we should be taking advantage of this innate ability. We will then end by doing some fun activities, noticing how and when our curiosity cropped up, and reflect together on how it may (or may not) have helped us to learn and remember.

Elen Evans, Science Made Simple
elen@sciencemadesimple.co.uk
Matthias Gruber Principal Research Fellow in the School of Psychology Cardiff University
Ellen O'Donoghue Research Associate Cardiff University
Gethin Spiller Science Communicator Science Made Simple

Making Sci-Comm for Everyone

not yet scheduled

Join us to explore accessibility and adaptability in Sci-Comm! This session will start with a short talk from Beth, covering her experiences with adapting Science Theatre shows and workshops for different groups including the Blind and Visually Impaired and Autistic audiences. Beth will also discuss techniques for reacting to different audience needs on the fly. The rest of the session will be an open forum so come and share your experiences; tips and tricks and solutions or a challenge you need help overcoming. Let's come together to make our Sci-Comm for Everyone!

Bethany (Beth) Maskall, Scitech (Perth, Australia)
bethany.maskall@scitech.org.au

Making the Most of Murder: Running Impactful Adult Events

not yet scheduled

While murder mysteries and other evening events have become popular with museums and other institutions, it can be a daunting challenge to get such initiatives off the ground while also ensuring that participants are having an experience that is both entertaining and meaningful. This session will focus on potential formats for initiating your own murder mysteries with tips for things that have and have not worked from past events as well as some advice on how to incorporate some of that STEM content we all love.

Thaddeus Papke,
thaddeuspapke@gmail.com

The world’s most useless idea for an exhibit or a prop?

not yet scheduled

Do you have the worlds most useless idea for an exhibit? Or a demo prop? Forget science, explaining, usefulness, price, practicalities, etc. This is a workshop for the big ideas, wild dreams, and maybe just for having fun. Build the exhibit with tape, cardboard and scissors during the workshop, and present it for the rest of the participants afterwards. Maybe there will be a jury, maybe there will be artificial intellingence, we will may even find some intelligent life..... Maybe we will end up with a useful idea for or from someone, but who cares as long as we have fun. We'll bring some basic tools, as much cardboard as we can find, a few kilometers* of tape, glue, markers, marbles, ropes, stickers, spaghetti, glitter (actually, we might skip the glitter, but you get the idea) and other stuff that is probably not going to be usefull to anyone. Bring your own useless stuff, and maybe you or someone else can use it for an awesome prototype! * don't worry, we can teach you how to use the Fibonacci numbers to convert to imperial units

Magne Hognestad, Jærmuseet Science Circus
mho@jaermuseet.no
Dave Ansell, Sciansell
Fredrik Motland Kirkemo; Science Communicator; Jærmuseet Science Circus;

What makes a good Exhibit/Demo/Prop?

not yet scheduled

Hardware for scicom can work wonderfully and sometimes it flops. A wonderful demo can turn into an awful exhibit and vice versa. I don't think we will get to any final answers but the discussion should be interesting.

Dave Ansell, Sciansell
dave@sciansell.co.uk
Dan Bird ? Whitefire Design

Seaweed and superheroes – role models in science shows

not yet scheduled

ASPIRES has shown us that it isn't science itself that needs to be 'made interesting and relevant'. People already get that, but young people still don't see themself as 'that kind of person'. Role model campaigns sometimes focus on unattainable characteristics and can cause more harm than good. In this session we'll show some practical examples of how we have used role models in our Science Made Simple shows and what we’ve found out. Then we'll challenge you to choose a STEM role model* and come up with a connected demo. Let's put people (not explosions) at the heart of the next generation of science shows. * Or we can give you one of ours...

Wendy Sadler, Science Made Simple
wendy@sciencemadesimple.co.uk
Ruth Perkins; STEM Communicator; Science Made Simple;

Zero to Hero: Setting up a university outreach programme from scratch

not yet scheduled

So you’ve got an outreach person. Now what? How do you go from a standing start to having a fully-fledged outreach team with strategic direction and a culture of embedded outreach and public engagement across your university’s staff and students? Join the Outreach Team from the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences at King’s College London, and the STEM Response Team from the University of Wolverhampton, as we explore our experiences of that journey. We will share how we devised an outreach strategy with all-round buy-in, designed a programme to meet the needs of our audiences and communities, and developed as a team, all the while bringing academic staff on board. We also know there are plenty of others who have also done this work – in many cases for much longer than we have! We’d love to hear from you, so we will also be opening the floor for others to share their experience and advice. Together, we will explore a range of approaches to creating a successful outreach programme, learning from each other how to develop and grow our work. By the end of this session, we hope you – and we! – will have some concrete ideas for what the next steps might be on this journey from zero to outreach hero!

Kathryn Boast, King's College London
kathryn.boast@kcl.ac.uk
Peter Gallivan; Outreach Support Manager; King's College London;
Martin Khechara; Associate Professor for Engagement in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM); University of Wolverhampton;
Heather Angell; Multiply Project Coordinator & STEM Response Team; University of Wolverhampton;

AI: A Creative Tool For Pitching SciComm

not yet scheduled

Working in science communication and documentary filmmaking, I have found the explosion of artificial intelligence to be both scary and inspiring. It is fundamentally changing the way that I pitch science media to broadcasters and institutions - brainstorming ideas, writing entertaining copy, and creating visuals. In this session, I will share documentary pitch decks that we have created and how we have utilised AI tools in the process - plus how scicommers may want to use these tools when pitching their projects. Through practical case studies, we'll discuss best practices and learnings we have discovered during the process, from perfecting prompts to current limitations. Ultimately, how can we responsibly use AI to positively elevate our work whilst not damaging the industry? This is an introductory review of AI tools, especially visual tools, with some advanced tips mixed in.

Sam Ridgeway,
sgr277@nyu.edu

The SciComm Confessional

not yet scheduled

The STEM Response Team and The Royal Institution have a wealth of experience developing and delivering science demonstrations, but things still go wrong. Everyone finds it hard to admit they’ve made mistakes, especially Health and Safety ones. We believe it reflects poorly on us, but they do happen. We’ll encourage scicommers of all experiences to share mistakes they’ve made and the lessons they learned. By sharing these we hope to collectively learn without the mistakes. We encourage attendees with decades of experience to show those with less that everyone makes mistakes and together we can all get better and safer.

Dan Plane, The Royal Institution
dplane@ri.ac.uk
Martin Khechara Creative Director – The STEM Response Team University of Wolverhampton

Bridging the gap between SciCom theory and practice

not yet scheduled

As part of a PhD with Cardiff University, I have developed a resource for people who deliver engineering outreach activities - designed to bridge the gap between recent research findings and outreach practices. I’m interested in how this guidance is interpreted and used in real-life applications. Please come along and help evaluate the materials and share your own perspectives. Although engineering focussed much of the advice is relevant to other STEM disciplines and I welcome feedback from all. (As part of the session participants will be asked to consent to the discussion being recorded and anonymised comments used for research purposes.)

Debbie Syrop, Cardiff University
syropdk@cf.ac.uk

Video Victories

not yet scheduled

Join Elizabeth Mills, Sam Langford and Katie Steckles as we explore all the ways in which using videos can be a quick win and boost your science communication activities. The session will cover topics including utilizing video to hybridize events, live streaming, using video in live shows, social media and more! We will share our top tips and demonstrations, then open up group discussions to collate a list of dos and definitely don’ts.

Elizabeth Mills,
marinemumbles@gmail.com
Sam Langford Science Communicator
Katie Steckles Science Communicator

Assistants on stage that you can program

not yet scheduled

Assistants on stage can be a wonderful thing, or a nightmare, so why not have a couple that you can program, not in a brainwashing way but in C++ The easy to use microelectronics such as arduino and 3d printing it is possible to create machines that that provide a lot of scope for covering STEAM inspiration and amusement. The reactions of onlookers can be profound, the questions generated illuminating and the effect hillarious.

Ian B Dunne, Do Science ltd
ianbdunne@doscience.co.uk

The Art of Astrophysics

not yet scheduled

Join The MoSAIC in the showcase of our latest project, 'The Art of Astrophysics'. We will show you how we have worked with researchers from the University of Oxford to share how visual art has an impact on our perception of the universe and using astrophysics research to inspire poetry and gravitationally lensed self-portraits. Have a go at some of the hands-on activities we've been using to inspire the next generation of star-gazers. The MoSAIC is a not-for-profit aiming to show young people how interconnected the arts and the sciences are.

Gareth Campbell, The MoSAIC
info@themosaic.uk

Unlocking Digital Potential: A Hands-On Coding Workshop

not yet scheduled

Thinking of setting up a code club or curious to see what one entails? Maybe you already run one and have your own stories to share? This workshop serves as a gateway to the world of programming, offering participants the opportunity to dive into the basics of Scratch, Python, Microbits and more. Through this interactive session we will share our experience of running a code club both in person and online, while giving you practical skills and the confidence to create your own digital projects. Whether you’re a novice looking to get started or an enthusiast seeking to expand your toolkit, this workshop will get you started on your journey to unlocking your coding potential and embracing the possibilities of the digital age.

Selmane Tabet, Cardiff University
TabetS@cardiff.ac.uk
Paul Brennan Code Club Facilitator and Professor at Cardiff University

Challenges in science presenter training

not yet scheduled

Nurturing presenters can be difficult. Knowing when to nudge, when to go easy, and how to develop someone’s personal style involves trying to define experiences that vary between audience members. Adding science to the mix brings more challenges – be it training nervous presenters to deal with hazardous equipment whilst talking, or discussing how to adapt to different contexts and audiences. A panel of trainers will share their tips, along with their challenges which we’ll workshop in groups. We’ll open the floor for anybody who wants to share their tips and challenges, too. Open to more collaborators!

Ash Redhouse White, Centre for Life
ash.redhousewhite@life.org.uk
Jon Wood; Jon Wood Science;
Matt Williamson; Tayside Planetarium;

not yet scheduled

Science shows can be a powerful way to engage the public and spark curiosity. But what exactly are we trying to achieve, and how do we know whether what we’re doing is working? To ensure their effectiveness, we need proper evaluation. In this interactive session we will discuss science show evaluation, including the aims, target groups and methods. While the starting point will be science shows, input is welcome on the evaluation of all science communication activities! Be prepared to share your ideas and experiences, while taking part in a fun discussion and group activity.

Ruadh Duggan , CERN
ruadh.duggan@cern.ch

The Trolley Problem (and boxes)

not yet scheduled

Do you move ridiculous amounts of kit and resources around to numerous venues constantly? Then this session is for you. We will talk boxes, trolleys and anything else we put our stuff in. Let’s talk favourites, ones that have let us down and some things to keep in mind to make a good stuff-carrying choice. Our panel will share their best buys for their specific purposes, including options that cover different types of budget and kit type. This is an interactive session to share your thoughts too. If you can squeeze it on your journey to Cardiff, we’d LOVE to see your favourite box or trolley so we can check them out! (Or if it doesn’t fit in the suitcase, some photos would be lovely too)

Kirsty Hayward,
kirstyhayward2@hotmail.co.uk
More contributors TBC and more contributors welcome!

Why is space cool? (and how you can steal its star power)

not yet scheduled

Why is space so cool? It's not a physics question but an important science communication one. I've recently gone from full-time sci-comm to full-time engineering in the space industry and it's struck me that space engineering is nowhere near as innovative or exciting as it's reputation or public interest makes out. So for science communicators, this session is a chance to talk about why space gets so much of the limelight - and how you can steal the things that make space sparkle for your own, non-spacey, work.

Neil Monteiro,
neil@neilmonteiro.com

Why We Should Stop Doing Evaluation.

not yet scheduled

[Obviously a provocative topic...but I think one that does need some debate!] Evaluation is hard. Hard to do practically, hard to do scientifically and, not least, hard to do in a way that doesn't kill the great feeling of fun that you've nurtured around your show/event/exhibit. Evaluation adds significant (sometimes large) costs onto projects that are already struggling for cash and raises the barrier to entry for newcomers and small organisations looking to do a public good. It could be argued evaluation is worth the trouble, but evaluation is a slippery witness when it comes to results - it's hard to get a firm fix on any conclusions made by evaluation because of the inherent uncertainties. And where evaluation makes absolute claims, we risk slipping into pseudoscience. Often we don't, or won't, use the outcomes of evaluation. There's a simple solution - stop doing evaluation. But I think there's an alternative option - somewhere in the middle - and I'd like to get that debate started (or maybe even stopped) in a safe, welcoming place like BIG because I think it's probably the best place to have an open discussion about our work. You may agree, you may disagree, either way please join the session as otherwise it'll just be me talking to myself in an empty room - and I've done enough of that already over the last few years.

Neil Monteiro,
neil@neilmonteiro.com

Presenting Science with Magic!

not yet scheduled

Join us for a fascinating session blending magic with science and technology! Learn how to captivate audiences with engaging STEM demos and presentations that combine showmanship, storytelling, and magic tricks. Discover how to make an object transform to illustrate the principles of physics, or transform a simple card trick into a lesson on probability, statistics and computer science. Unravel the mystery behind levitating objects to demonstrate the wonders of magnetism and electromagnetism. This session promises to elevate your science communication skills and spark curiosity in a whole new way!

Suyash Joshi, Magical STEM
suyash@magicalstem.com