Cambridge Science Festival

I'm looking forward to my first Public Engagement activity at CRUK Cambridge Institute.
This weekend, on Sunday CI will have activities about bioinformatics as well as computing-related activities on a Raspberry pi along with a themed 'Escape Room' @CRUKCambridge @CamBioCampus

Call for RSS Statistical Ambassadors

If you are in the first ten years of your career working with statistics and data, and based in the UK, please do consider applying for the RSS statistical ambassadors programme:

https://www.statslife.org.uk/members-area/member-news/latest-call-outs-to-members/2710-could-you-be-one-of-our-statistical-ambassadors

The RSS statistical ambassadors programme is developing the public engagement skills of UK-based professional statisticians, to create a cohort of volunteers willing and able to respond to requests from event organisers and the media. Existing ambassadors have given media interviews, participated in public events, helped journalists and press officers understand statistical issues, written popular articles, and much more.

We are now accepting applications for a further ten ambassadors to join the programme.

The programme is specifically aimed at early-career statisticians (up to ten years in the profession), including postgraduate students, and those with limited public communication experience.

It aims to support and assist those who wish to engage with public audiences about statistical matters through the media, in person, or online. The programme is not aimed at those wishing to change careers into the media or into professional communication roles.

Statistical ambassadors will receive two days' training and four telephone group mentoring sessions with experts including David Spiegelhalter, Winton Professor for the Public Understanding of Risk at Cambridge University, to help you reflect on and develop your skills. We ask statistical ambassadors to be responsive to requests from the RSS for volunteer time for public engagement. Participation in the programme is eligible for the RSS CPD requirements.

Applications close on 23 March 2016. For full details of how to apply, visit: https://www.statslife.org.uk/members-area/member-news/latest-call-outs-to-members/2710-could-you-be-one-of-our-statistical-ambassadors

STEMnet Ambasssador-Teacher networking evening

Was pleased to be invited to talk about some of the Food Security-related school activities that I've

co-developed with schools last night at the John Innes Centre in Norwich.
Hopefully, showed how much the Institute of Food Research was addressing the Food Security agenda.

Chuffed that I kept to time and got a lot of networking done with both Ambassadors and Teachers afterwards. Hopefully, this will generate future collaborations.

Well impressed with pupils presentations of their STEM Club activities and Mersey STEMclub had information on various activities for clubs that looked very interesting.

Schools - gear up for British Science week (Mar 2016) - grants available

Thinking about doing a science activity for British Science week but have funding concerns?

Each year, the British Science Association makes grants available to schools and organisations to help them put on events or activities for British Science Week.

Grants may be used to fund a range of activities - from inviting a speaker to providing resources or organising a trip.  In 2016, we will have a number of grant schemes available, providing small pots of funding from £200 to £700.

The grant scheme for British Science Week 2016 is now open, and will close on Monday 23 November 2015.  To apply, please register your event or activity via our online form and continue through to the grant application section. Successful applicants will be notified by mid-December 2015.  See our website for further details: www.britishscienceweek.org>

Grants available:

Grants for schools

*          Kick Start Grants for schools in challenging circumstances to organise their own events as part of British Science Week.

o          Kick Start grant: up to £300 for your school to run an activity during BSW; or

o          Kick Start More grant: up to £700 for your school to host a science event or activity which involves your students and the local community

*          Scottish and Welsh Grants: £200

Grants for organisations

*          Community grants of £500 aimed to engage audiences who are traditionally under-represented and currently not engaged in science activity

*          Scottish and Welsh grants designed to help organisations in Scotland and Wales run events as part of British Science Week.

Grants for BSA branches

Grants are available for British Science Association branches to run events for BSW.

More information: www.britishscienceweek.org/plan-your-activities/grants/>

Register an event: http://www.britishscienceweek.org/register-an-event/

Stuck for ideas?

Have a browse of the British Science Week resources, which contain lots of ideas for activities that different age groups might enjoy(www.britishscienceweek.org/plan-your-activities/activity-packs/>).

You could also explore our selection of case studies of organisations and schools who have run successful events and activities for British Science Week in previous years (www.britishscienceweek.org/plan-your-activities/case-studies/>)

Please contact bsw@britishscienceassociation.org> if you have any queries.

Public lecture - The Complexity of the International Food Trade Network - Norwich 13:00 Friday 18th September

Professor Jozsef Baranyi

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Jozsef Baranyi will give a public lecture entitled The Complexity of the International Food Trade Network on Friday 18th September
Time: 13:00
Venue: United Nations Association, Friends Meeting House, Upper Goat Lane, Norwich NR2 1EW

Abstract:
With demand for food to increase by 50% by 2030, the current global food distribution system compromises food tracebility, which has an impact on its chemical and microbiological safety.
During a food poisoning outbreak, the first and most important task is to identify the origin of the contamination. Delays in this task can have severe consequences for the health of the population and incur social, political and economical damages with international repercussions. However, the International agro-Food Trade Network (IFTN) is less and less suitable to track the origin of food products.  A case in point was the consequences of the three weeks delay in identifying the origin of the E. coli contamination in Germany in June 2011.
An interdisciplinary approach is needed to better understand the IFTN.  Such an approach is entirely within the means of science and technology, if supported by detailed and systematic data to monitor and control food flows.  The issue no longer affecting just single countries, but the global livelihood of the human population. International organisations, such as the United Nations and the European Union, are essential to the efforts to collect and monitor data on the food trade networks.

CANSat competition

ESA wishes to foster and support a broad range of CanSat activities across its Member States, in order to give European students their first experience of a real space-related project. 

ESERO-UK organises an annual UK CanSat Competition, the winner of which goes on to compete in the European CanSat Competition.

A CanSat is a simulation of a real satellite, integrated within the volume and shape of a soft drink can. The challenge for the students is to fit all the major subsystems found in a satellite, such as power, sensors and a communication system, into this minimal volume. The CanSat is then launched to an altitude of a few hundred metres by a rocket or dropped from a platform or captive balloon and its mission begins: to carry out a scientific experiment and achieve a safe landing.

CanSats offer a unique opportunity for students to have a first practical experience of a real space project. They are responsible for all aspects: selecting the mission objectives, designing the CanSat, integrating the components, testing, preparing for launch and then analysing the data.

Competition overview

The UK CanSat Competition consists of four phases:

1. Call for proposals and team selection
2. Teachers’ introductory workshop
3. CanSat construction and test activities
4. Competition launch campaign

More here

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: UNIVERSITIES AND SCHOOLS INVITED TO APPLY TO TAKE PART IN THE SMALL WORLD INITIATIVE

The Society for General Microbiology is looking for universities* and schools to join our exciting new venture into the world of drug discovery. The Small World Initiative will give the general public, students and educators in the UK and Ireland the opportunity to work with scientists as part of a global initiative to discover new antibiotics from soil bacteria.

We are looking for 10 universities and five school and university partnerships who are passionate about practical microbiology to join us in this Initiative, during which groups of students will undertake authentic research, hoping to find the next new antibiotic. What we want from the universities and schools is enthusiasm for the subject. The Society will provide the rest!

Institutions in the UK and Ireland are eligible to apply. The closing date for applications is 30 April 2015.

You can find further details and application forms for the undergraduate scheme and the school and university partnership scheme, on our website. If you have any questions, please contact the Education and Outreach Team at smallworld@sgm.ac.uk, or on 0207 685 2682.

* Research Institutions are also welcome to apply.

Find out more about the Small World Initiative.

London event
Pop-Up Screens <http://www.popupscreens.co.uk/> is a mobile cinema that
does a lot of open-air cinema screenings in Summer and other events in
indoor locations at less warm times of the year. They are doing a series
of five films in May which lend themselves to a bit of science
commentary. All take place at Chelsea Town Hall on Fri, Sat or Sun 15-17 May,
1pm or 6.30pm, details below.

  * Alien with science commentary
    <http://www.popupscreens.co.uk/movies/alien-with-science-commentary/> -
    6.30pm, 15 May
  * Apollo 13 with science commentary
    <http://www.popupscreens.co.uk/movies/apollo-13-science-commentary/>
    - 1pm, 16 May
  * Back to the Future 2 with science commentary
    <http://www.popupscreens.co.uk/movies/back-to-the-future-2/> -
    6.30pm, 16 May
  * Shaun of the Dead with science commentary
    <http://www.popupscreens.co.uk/movies/shaun-dead-science-commentary/> -
    1pm, 17 May
  * Good Will Hunting with science commentary
    <http://www.popupscreens.co.uk/movies/good-will-hunting-maths-commentary/>
    - 6.30pm, 17 May

Of interest to Primary & Secondary Schools:

16th March 2015, 17:07 Astro-Pi in the maths classroom by Steve Lyon

In partnership with the United States, Russia, Japan and Canada, Europe is sharing in the greatest international project of all time - the International Space Station. The ISS has enough room for its crew of six persons and a vast array of scientific experiments. It’s a lab and a home… in space!
Tim Peake is due to go to the International Space Station in November 2015 and spend six months there carrying out scientific experiments. He will be the first British ESA astronaut to visit the Space Station.
A team of leading UK Space companies, Raspberry Pi and the UK Space Agency have joined forces with Tim to offer young people the chance to devise their own app or experiment. The best of these will be taken to the ISS as part of Tim's mission and run on the Raspberry Pi computers he’s taking with him.
So – what would YOU do with a tiny computer on-board the space-station, equipped with lots of sensors, inputs and outputs? Your ideas can win great prizes for your school, no programming necessary! And to help you get started, we’ve provided lots of ideas and background learning materials.
Secondary school students can win more prizes by coding their solution in Python. Lots of help is available, so don’t worry if you’ve never written any code!
To find out more, go to astro-pi.org but hurry – Tim’s training is almost complete and your idea must be ready to fly too!

The astro-pi competition is a great opportunity to bring the excitement of space travel to your subject. Teachers of science, maths, computing and more will find resources and ideas for the classroom, helping you enrich learning for all students and prepare teams for the competition.

Hubble 25th Anniversary

Just sharing this as it may be of interest:

Dear All,

As part of Hubble's 25th anniversary celebrations we have two initiatives

that might interest list members.

1) We are offering high-quality large-format (around 3x3m) prints of

Hubble’s anniversary image for display at European-based science centres,

museums, planetariums, nature centres and other informal education venues

interested in doing an event or unveiling on the 23 April 2015 in

celebration of the anniversary.

More information and application form here:

https://www.spacetelescope.org/Hubble25/imageunveilings/

2) If you are interested in making short films and in winning a piece of

Hubble's actual solar array - which spent 3 years in Space - then we also

have a short film competition "Ode to Hubble".

The competition is for videos of three minutes or less and as long as they

are Hubble-inspired in some way can take any form you like.

More information and application details here:

http://www.spacetelescope.org/Hubble25/odetohubble/

Let me know if you would like any further details and please share and send

to anyone you think might be interested.

Many thanks,

Georgia

--

Georgia Bladon

+44 (0)7816291261

gr.bladon@gmail.com

Public Outreach Officer - ESA/Hubble (

georgia@partner.eso.org)

Editor-in-Chief - International Astronomy Union CAPjournal

(georgia@partner.eso.org)

Information on this years Royal Institution Christmas lectures

It may seem a bit early to think about Christmas but this years RI lectures look like they be a Cracker :-)

Sparks will fly: How to hack your home

Danielle George, a Professor of Radio Frequency Engineering at The University of Manchester, will present the 2014 CHRISTMAS LECTURES. 

In her three-part series 'Sparks will fly: How to hack your home' Danielle will explore how just a spark of your imagination and some twenty-first century tinkering can change the world. She will take three great British inventions – a light bulb, a telephone and a motor – and show you how to adapt, transform and hack them to do extraordinary things. Danielle will announce the new rules of invention and show you how to use modern tools and technologies and things from your home to have fun and make a difference to the world around you.

Further details here

This should be of interest to Teachers & parents:

I am writing to let you know about a fantastic new game that we have put together in order to support children in learning about their local wildlife and to also enable them to share what they discover with other children around the country.

The game has three main aims:

1) We believe that children have to a large extent lost the connect with nature that they used to have and this game has the aim of improving general basic knowledge of common creatures in the UK through reconnecting kids with nature.

2) To use technology to reduce the amount of screen time kids get by encouraging them outdoors

3) To give parents, schools and other organisations an easy to access, free tool that makes it easy and fun for them to support kids in connecting with nature.

Here it is: http://www.flyonthewall.uk.com/wildlifetrackers/

We need help in raising awareness of the game and have been kindly supported by The Wild Network and various Wildlife Trusts through mentions on their websites and social media sites but also need a LOT more help to bring the tool to as many children as possible.

Kind Regards

Joel Chudleigh

joel@deepfootprints.co.uk

Fly On The Wall

http://www.flyonthewall.uk.com/

Crowdfunding Astronomy Education

Universe Awareness are raising 15,000 EUR through a Kickstarter campaign to send the education kit "Universe in a Box" to underprivileged communities around the world.

Rewards are available from as little as 5 EUR and there are many astronomy resources on offer if people pledge to the campaign. These include EarthBall (an inflatable globe without national borders) and Universe in a Box itself (a toolkit for teachers and educators to make astronomy and space science accessible) .

Universe in a Box is a physical toolkit with the materials necessary for implementing more than forty astronomy-related activities for 4-10 year olds. Activities range from explanations of the seasons to stories behind constellations to the scale of our solar system. With the money from the campaign we will send more than 160 boxes around the world to communities who couldn't otherwise afford them, as well as providing training so that the materials are implemented effectively.

Please check out and share our campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/unawe/universe-in-a-box

Abi Ashton
Universe in a Box project
Universe Awareness International Office, Leiden University

Todays Google Doodle clebrates Dorothy Hodgkin (Protein Crystallographer)

Dorothy Hodgkin was the third woman to win the Nobel prize (for chemistry) for her work including structures for penicillin and Vitamin B12. All done despite suffering from progressive and crippling arthritis. She was also concerned with social inequalities.

Schools compo (ages 7-14) Design a meal for Tim Peake to eat on International Space Station

British Astronaut TIM PEAKE is asking schoolchildren to create a meal for him to eat in space.

The UK Space Agency is today launching a competition for school children between the ages of 7 and 14 to design a British-inspired, balanced and exciting meal for British ESA astronaut Tim Peake to eat during his 6 month mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

The winning contestants will be invited to develop their ideas further with celebrity chef HESTON BLUMENTAL, and these ideas will be turned into real space food that will be launched to the ISS. They will also be invited to an event that will include a live link up with Tim during his stay on the ISS.

http://www.esero.org.uk/news/great-british-space-dinner-competition

Enter MINDSTORMS® Challenge and win a trip to Hawaii!

This may be of interest to school science clubs (Possible arts project too in making video):

The 2014 MoonBots Challenge is an international on-line competition run by Google Lunar XPRIZE that challenges youth from 9 to 17 years old to form a team and design, create and program robots to simulate a lunar mission.
The competition is divided into two phases: in Phase One, teams create and upload a video in which they answer the question, “Why should we go Back to the Moon for Good?”   At the end of Phase One, 25 teams will be selected. They will receive a LEGO® MINDSTORMS® robotics toolkit, LEGO bricks and other materials to create their own robot and lunar landscape.

In Phase Two, the 25 teams will be asked to design their own game-play using the resources provided. Teams will also be asked to create and upload a video showing how they have used their MoonBots game to engage children and adults in their community.

The Grand Prize is a trip for the winning team to visit Hawaii and test out their robot at the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES) Facility on the slopes of the Mauna Kea volcano.

Registration closes on 15 May and Phase One videos must be submitted by midnight (Pacific Time) on 1 June 2015.

For full details, see: http://moonbots.org

Havago Festival at Forum, Norwich on 18th & 19th August

havagofestival.co.uk

Great new venture for Norfolk at the Forum! 

Meander invites you to “HAVAGO”!

Ever wanted to have-a-go at something new, but wanted to “try before you buy”?

If so put the 18th & 19th of August in your diary! “The Havago Festival” is a celebration of skill, a-“share’n-show” opportunity for you to meet the most skilled, passionate creative’s of Norfolk and see what they have to offer.

Music Teachers who will let you try out getting a C on the guitar, dance troupes who teach you a few steps to get you started, crafts and arts professionals of all guises will be there, ready and willing to let you “HAVAGO”.

Free to the public, this two day event is an invitation to all those interested in trying something new and seeing what the Best of Creative Norfolk has to offer..

Science Communication Masterclass (for Scientists) at UEA

Come and meet some engagement practitioners in a free lunchtime masterclass session: Tuesday February 11^th – MED 1.02 – 12.00-1.30pm

Dr Laura Bowater (Norwich Medical School) MED & Dr Kay Yeoman (School of Biological Sciences)

A masterclass on engagement with schools (e.g. Kay’s mobile family science lab) and on their publication, ‘Science Communication: a practical guide for scientists’

Science communication is a rapidly expanding area and meaningful engagement between scientists and the public requires effective communication. Designed to help the novice scientist get started with science communication, this unique guide begins with a short history of science communication before discussing the design and delivery of an effective engagement event. Along with numerous case studies written by highly regarded international contributors, the book discusses how to approach face–to–face science communication and engagement activities with the public while providing tips to avoid potential pitfalls. This book has been written for scientists at all stages of their career, including undergraduates and postgraduates wishing to engage with effective science communication for the first time, or looking to develop their science communication portfolio.

http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-111999313X.html?cid=RSS_WILEY2_CHEMISTRY

PUBLICATION: Kay Yeoman, ‘Keeping it in the family’

http://www.uea.ac.uk/documents/1006177/1325318/Keeping+it+in+the+family/384a8946-d9cd-42b7-b9d6-eb7f5b5ba618

Book your place by Tuesday 4^th February: community@uea.ac.uk

"Yuri's Day" public event (Norwich Astronomical Society) on 12th April 2014

This may be of interest to Norfolk residents interested in Astronomy & Space:-
I am happy so say the Norwich Astronomical Society will be hosting a public event to celebrate the first ever trip into space by Yuri Gagarin.
Although celebrated across the world, “Yuri’s Night” is not generally recognised in the West and this will be the first time a UK Astronomical Society has ever celebrated Yuri Gagarin’s momentous flight.

Currently there are 357 affiliated Yuri’s Night star parties across 57 countries … we are proud to be one of them! Our event, “Yuri’s Day” is to take place on Saturday 12th April at Seething Observatory near Norwich.

The day is split into two parts. It will have a children’s’ day-time event from 2-6pm where schools and organisations will be actively involved providing activities and talks for other children with the Society acting as a ‘facilitator’ for the event. If possible we will provide solar telescopes for viewing the sun and there will be access to the conventional telescopes and facilities for demonstrations. Needless to say, the somewhat infamous rocket launching session is already booked!  In the evening from 7pm there will be a more adult approach with a lecture given by Dr David Balcombe, viewing of the stars through the Society’s telescopes and general access to the Society’s facilities.

More information will be forthcoming as the event develops.

Andy Gardiner
Chairman
Norwich Astronomical Society
(http://www.norwichastro.org.uk/)

Free event at JIC Norwich : become fascinated with Fungi for #ukfungusday2013

Looking forward to tomorrow (Oct 13th) at John Innes Centre (Near the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital).
We've a free family-friendly event (and not just for families) where you can be fascinated by fungi as it is UK Fungus Day.
Fungi range from the familiar Mushrooms & Toadstools to the moulds we dread to find on our bread to the yeasts that are used to make bread and beer.

The event will have several activities (arts & crafts, story telling, fungal foray (looking at woodland fungi with an expert), how the toadstool got its spots, mushroom growers, mushroom recipe tastings, beer tastings, fungi in medicine & disease, fungi used in food production (affecting taste, flavour & texture) and more...).
Come along to JIC on Sunday 13th to have a Fun-gi day!