1st Conference onScience and Communication

Programme

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welcome to

Supported by:

10.00 Poster presenters arrive and set up; filming and adjudication from 10.30 – 12.00

11.30 Visitor organisations set up

12.15 Lunch for organisers, visitors and poster presenters

12.30 – 13.00 Arrival and registration [Shirley Hall foyer]

13.15 Welcome and introduction [Shirley Hall]Sophie Brown (Chief Editor), Christina Astin & Ghazwan Butrous (YSJ co-founders)

13.30 Keynote address – Prof Sir Harry Kroto

14.15 Short talk from Claire Nicholson (YSJ blogger)Introductions to workshops and leaders: Fiona Jenkinson (former Chief Editor)

14.30 – 15.30 Workshop Session 1 [see pages 9-11 for details and venues]

15.30 – 15.55 Afternoon tea with poster presentations and exhibition[Pupil Social Centre, below Shirley Hall]

16.00 – 17.00 Workshop Session 2 [see pages 9-11 for details and venues]

17.00 – 18.00 Welcome from Mr. P. Roberts, Headmaster of The King’s SchoolFeedback from workshops & plenary discussion [Shirley Hall]

18.00 Oral presentations from the 2 poster winners [Shirley Hall]

18.15 Refreshments (poster displays and exhibition available again) [Pupil Social Centre]and departure of delegates

7.15 for 7.30 Dinner for speakers and invited guests[Gateway Chamber, St. Augustine’s]

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Welcome!

Welcome to the conference and thank you for coming. We are delighted to have students and teachers joining us from such a diverse array of schools and geographical locations. There is a distinguished line-up of speakers and workshops for you today and hope you will feel inspired (though probably exhausted!) afterwards. This is the first time the Young Scientists Journal has hosted a conference and we’d love your feedback (see page 15).

YSJ (www.ysjournal.com) was founded in 2006 by a small group of students at the King’s School Canterbury, with the support of Christina Astin (head of science) and Ghazwan Butrous. We wanted to give promising science students a head start with their communication skills in the context of a real journal. We also knew that students were doing excellent research in schools but had nowhere to publish.

Since then, an ever-changing student team has published 14 issues, with about 200 articles submitted from student authors all over the world. One article, by Jaspreet Khaira, has recently received its 50,000th hit!

But what makes YSJ unique is that it is not only written but also run and edited by students. We are currently working on our new site which will make the process from submission to publication quicker and easier. If you would like to get involved in any way, e.g. as a writer, editor, web designer, blogger, social media officer, get in touch with Chief Editor Sophie Brown at editor@ysjournal.com.

We hope you enjoy the day!

Christina Astin & Ghazwan Butrous

Schools attendingSimon Langton Girls' Grammar School, Canterbury

St Lawrence College, Ramsgate

Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Faversham

King's School, Canterbury

Benenden School, Cranbrook

Highgate School, London

Annamalai University School, Chennai, India

The Perse School, Cambridge

Uplands Community College, Wadhurst

The Warwick School, Redhill

Chethams Music School, Manchester

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Messages from our supporters

Dear YSJ conference delegates,“There was a time when communicating scientific research and scientific discoveries to a wider, lay audience was thought to be a waste of time and certainly not something the scientists themselves should spend time on. How things have changed. Today, the UK leads the world in science communication and most scientists understand the value and importance of explaining what they do and why they do it, as well as sharing the wonders of our universe with the rest of the population. I always ask this: what is the point of discovering something new and profound about the Universe if I don’t tell the world about it? For me, explaining scientific concepts, in particular from my area of physics, to the wider public who can share my excitement gives me a huge buzz and is just as important as doing the research itself.”

Jim Al Khalili

Theoretical physicist, author and broadcaster

“I'd like to wish you all the very best for this conference. It promises to be very stimulating and I do wish I could have been with you to hear all the ideas! I've spent the last 30 years communicating science and technology stories, so it will come as no surprise that I think it's really  important - not only to inspire those who will be the innovators and inventors of the future but so we can all take part in informed debate on key issues. It's never too early to start writing and sharing what you have learnt or seen. It's very exciting when you read a piece written by a young person, with a fresh perspective and a fresh voice.

And I should remind all the young people under 16 attending this event that the Journalism category for the TeenTech Awards remains open until April 4th. The winner receives £1000 and the presentation will take place at Buckingham Palace.”

Maggie Philbin

TV and radio presenter, formerly on Tomorrow’s World, CEO TeenTech CIC

www.teentechevent.com ( Winner Best Communication and Outreach 2012)

“The YSJ conference provides, in my opinion, an excellent forum for the discussion of scientific ideas and presentation of research - vital components of scientific progress. Discussing current breakthroughs and issues in science not only sparks interest and excitement in students' minds but also equips them well for further study and research, ultimately improving the quality of scientific research in the UK. The magazine provides an excellent platform for young scientists to present their work, as it has personally for me with my article on Tilings and Tessellations.”

Jaspreet Khaira

3rd Year medical student at Cambridge University, whose article published by YSJ has been viewed over 50,000 times.

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“I am immensely proud of what the Young Scientists Journal has achieved in the last eight years. The Journal demonstrates that no matter who you are or where you live you can contribute to the shared body of scientific knowledge that is humanity’s greatest achievement.

I began my scientific career with the Young Scientists Journal, and I hope that many of you will be inspired to do the same. Science is the tool I use to feed my curiosity about the world. Like many scientists I’ve found myself focusing in ever increasing detail on a tiny area of research (how we can build better homes) yet more research I do, the more unanswered questions I find. Far too often I find myself in the office late at night working by the glow of my computer, not because I have to, but because I want to.

This conference addresses the very important topic of science communication. Few people outside of the scientific community have any idea what scientists do, or how they help make the world a better place. Without public knowledge of science, important issues such as climate change or the teaching of evolution can be ignored by politicians with disastrous consequences. It is your responsibility as the next generation of scientists to ensure that everybody knows about science, its methods, its principles and usefulness to society.

I hope you enjoy the conference; I would like to leave you with a quote from one of my personal heroes and a great science communicator Neil de Grasse Tyson. When an eight year old girl told him that she wanted to be a scientist when she grew up, he said “The great thing about being a scientist is you never have to grow up.”

Malcolm Morgan

Centre for Sustainable Development, University of CambridgeFounding Member of the Young Scientists Journal

Conference bookshopCopies of the Young Scientists Journeys book, edited by Paul Soderberg and Christina Astin, will be available for a special conference price of just £2 (discounted from the normal retail price of £12.45) in the Shirley Hall foyer. Please email gbutrous@gmail.com if you would like to order further copies at this price.

One reviewer wrote: “Blast Off! ... Oops. This title sums up the sheer fun of the contents of this amazing book. Divided into short, punchy, chapters it takes the reader on a journey through science which is entertaining and inspirational. The section in question describes repeated attempts to create a small rocket, complete with space capsule, which would carry two ant-astronauts ... an experiment which inspired the writer to begin a seventeen-year military flying career. Many other similar anecdotes are included such as finding the ultimate paper plane, observing the intriguing effect of cholesterol on young rats, and all capture the attention and make one want to read more.

Aimed principally at aspiring scientists aged between 12 and 20, the warmth and personal tone of the contents proves engaging even to the older non-scientist like me. The journey theme is supported by a sense of 'family': a section entitled 'A Few Final Tips from Your Big Sister', for example, gives lots of encouragement to a young scientist to have confidence to embrace the infinite possibilities on offer - and in a global context. Contributors come from a wide range of countries and cultures, and the common thread throughout is the love of science.

In addition to the young scientists of the title, this attractively produced and illustrated book will be appreciated by educators, parents, intrigued adults of all academic persuasions, and of course librarians. The school library needs to be a place where enjoyment is coupled with aspiration and this book certainly achieves this aim. Where else can you be inspired by the artistic possibilities of bloated leeches and buffalo blood ... buy your copy immediately!”

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Visiting Organisations

Exhibitors:

The Royal Society

University of Cambridge (Queens’ College)

University of Kent

SEPnet (South-East Physics network – a university consortium of physics departments, who have kindly sponsored this conference)

CREST Awards

Nuffield Research Placements (represented by Medway Education Business Partnership)

London International Youth Science Forum

Education Harbour

Leaflets and other materials provided by:

The Royal Institution

The Society of Biology

The Royal Society of Chemistry

The Institute of Physics

University of Cambridge Admissions office

Imperial College, London

Philip Allan, publishers of Physics/Chemistry/Biology Review (with thanks for supplying the bags!)

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Keynote Speech: Professor Sir Harry Kroto “Créativité Sans Frontières”

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Workshops overviewProfessor Sir Harry Kroto(Keynote speaker)Professor of Chemistry at Florida State University

GYWW and GEOSET

The Goo-You-Wiki-World revolution and GEOSET in particular – a project aiming to share science videos across the world

Professor Averil MacDonaldUniversity of Reading

The Psychology of Science CommunicationHow to understand your audience in order to make an impact

Stefan Janucz, Emilie Aime, Ruth Milne & Raminder ShergillRoyal Society Publishing

Peer OutHow scientific journals are adapting to change, including the role of online publishing

Joanne ManasterUniversity of Illinois, USA; prolific science blogger

Sharing Science on Social MediaSocial media is more than finding out what celebrities had for lunch! Discover how to share your passion for science on social media for a broader reach.

Kate BellinghamTV Presenter

Playing the Media GameMedia coverage of scientific research: TV, newspapers, radio. How to write a press release.

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Michael MarshallEnvironmental journalist, New Scientist

Science Journalism

Routes into science journalism and tips on how to write with interest and clarity.

Workshop details

A. GYWW and GEOSET ROOM: Schoolroom

Workshop leader: Professor Sir Harry Kroto, Professor of Chemistry at Florida State University

The Goo-You-Wiki-World revolution and GEOSET– sharing science videos across the world

Professor Kroto won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Robert Curl and Richard Smalley in 1996 for his discovery of Carbon-60. He is professor of chemistry at Florida State University, which he joined in 2004. Prior to that, he spent a large part of his career at the University of Sussex, where he now holds an emeritus professorship.

The aim of education is to uncap the creative potential of every child and the Internet promises to do that better than before. Not only is information today almost instantaneously accessible, but anyone with expertise and the passion to communicate can contribute to the amazing globally-accessible cache of knowledge. Can on-line education replace a real teacher-pupil relationship? We should explore the imaginative educational opportunities which this new technology offers for instance to conflate synergistically with, rather than replace, traditional models. One such approach is the Global Educational Outreach for Science, Engineering and Technology (GEOSET) initiative (www.geoset.info) which enables both teachers and students to contribute creatively to the great humanitarian endeavour of building the “Global Cache of Knowledge” and at the same time improve greatly their career prospects.

B. The Psychology of Science Communication ROOM: ChemLab 3

Workshop leader: Professor Averil MacDonald, University of Reading

How to understand your audience in order to make an impact

Professor MacDonald holds the Chair of Science Engagement at the University of Reading. Averil has been awarded the international Bragg Medal and Prize by the Institute of Physics, London, the accolade of Woman of Outstanding Achievement in Science in recognition of her work in Science Communication, and the prestigious Plastics Industry Award.

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Communicating science isn’t just a matter of deciding what you want to say – or write – and then saying it or writing it well. The real professionals approach the process with a serious analysis of who their audience is and how they think. In this workshop you will find out how to understand your audience, how to choose the voice, the feel, the message, the medium and the level for your piece along with a USP that really hooks your audience into reading or listening to the end.

C. Peer Out ROOM: PhysLab 5

Workshop leaders: Stefan Janucz, Emilie Aime, Ruth Milne and Raminder Shergill, Royal Society Publishing

How scientific journals are adapting to change, including the role of online publishing

Stefan is the Programme Manager for the 350th anniversary of the journal “Philosophical Transactions”. He, Emilie, Ruth and Raminder work for the Publishing division of the Royal Society, which publishes nine scientific journals. The Royal Society is a Fellowship of the world’s most distinguished scientists and its fundamental purpose is to recognise, promote, and support excellence in science.

Scientific publishing began almost 350 years ago in 1665 with the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, still published today. The journal’s founder, Henry Oldenburg, defined the functions of a scientific journal as Registration (establishing who got there first), Certification (peer review), Dissemination (communicating to a sizeable, geographically distributed audience) and Archiving (allowing scientists to build on what went before). These are the foundations of, not only scientific publishing, but the scientific method itself. This model has since been used by many thousands of scientific journals, and since the world wide web, there are now nearly 30,000 journals publishing altogether a million papers a year. This workshop will look at how the model is adapting to change including open access, and how online publishing offer new opportunities and challenges.

D. Sharing Science on Social Media ROOM: Computer Rm 2

Workshop leader: Joanne Manaster, Lecturer in biology at the University of Illinois, USA and prolific science blogger

Social media is more than finding out what celebrities had for lunch! Discover how to share your passion for science on social media for a broader reach.

Joanne is a faculty lecturer of biology at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, USA. She is active in social media and is known for her STEM advocacy for young people. She writes a blog for Scientific American about science in film, video, and TV, and maintains a website called Joanne Loves Science. Her twitter account, @sciencegoddess, has been named by Mashable as One of 25 Twitter Accounts That Will Make You Smarter.

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New media and social media have created unprecedented and unique ways engage with scientific peers and the general public. It is also an effective way to meet the people whose work you admire. We will explore some examples of how new media is used to share science, including twitter, Google Hangouts on Air, Pinterest, Tumblr, and more. Participants will set up a twitter account and learn the basics!

E. Playing the Media Game ROOM: BioLab 5

Workshop Leader: Kate Bellingham, TV Presenter, Teacher & STEM Consultant

Media coverage of scientific research.

Kate has worked as a TV & radio presenter including BBC TV’s Tomorrow’s World. With a degree in physics and Masters in electronics, she has also worked as an engineer, a Maths & Physics teacher, the National STEM Careers coordinator and in numerous roles supporting STEM learning and outreach.

A workshop looking at how scientific research is covered by mainstream TV, radio & press. Tips on how to play the media game without compromising your position as a scientist. Have a go at developing a media plan and writing a press release.

F. Science Journalism ROOM: Mint Yard 3

Workshop leader: Michael Marshall, Environmental journalist, New Scientist

A practical master class in writing for a popular science journal.

Michael is a journalist and writer. He studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge and went on to do a Masters degree in experimental psychology, then another one in science communication. He now works full-time for New Scientist as their environment reporter.

How do we write about scientific research for a popular audience? Find out how to research and structure a story, and what needs to go into it. Then have a go at writing a science news story for yourself.

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Plenary QuestionsYou might like to consider these questions during the two workshops you attend for discussion during the final plenary. Feel free to make notes below!

i. How can school-age students publish their research?

ii. What’s the best way to practise science writing/enhance scientific literacy?

iii. The challenges of peer-review by students

iv. Benefits/limitations of social media/blogging

v. Who should pay for open-access journals?

vi. The challenges/opportunities of researching collaboratively, internationally

vii. Video – professional vs user-generated

viii. The relationship between scientists and the media

ix. Why should we engage the public with research whereas for many years it was considered

sufficient to communicate only with one's peers?

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Poster Projects – TitlesDelegates have been invited to bring posters showing some science research they have done. These are displayed in the Pupil Social Centre and will be available to view before the conference, during the tea break and after the final plenary session. Two prizes of £250 will be awarded to the two best projects (generously donated by the Butrous Foundation) and these winners will present their research at the end of the conference.

Name(s) School/College TitlePratap Singh The Perse School,

CambridgeCosmic-Ray muon detection: can we verify Special Relativity in the school lab?

Tamsin McKinnon Highgate School, London

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) – a technique used to amplify targeted sections of DNA

Aisling Clube, Olivia Wollaston and Intie Howell

Benenden School, Kent Influenza: will YOU survive?

Prishita Maheshwari-Aplin Chetham’s School, Manchester

Does the choosiness gene evolve in mate-copying males?

Claire Nicholson Bishops Stortford School, Essex

The Effect of Acid Rain on sealife.

Sampath Sambavi Annamalai University School, Chennai, India

Effect of iron nanoparticles on bioelectricity generation in a microbial fuel cell.

Rahul Sadhwani & Alexandra Ham

The King's School, Canterbury

Oscillating Reactions and Antioxidants in Fruit Juices

Tireni Atoyebi, Helen Woodward & Alisha Sadhwani

The King's School, Canterbury

The Doppler Effect

Rosalyn Suen, Kanapath Oungpasuk & Dawn Lau

The King's School, Canterbury

Environmental chemistry research - testing lake water

Madeleine Mills, Dena Movahedyan & Elizabeth Hale

The King's School, Canterbury

Tea: preferences and health benefits

George Edwards The King's School, Canterbury

Gas-Sense: How much gas in in a Gas Bottle?

Hal Evans The King's School, Canterbury

The Changing Shapes of Engineering

Maddy Irwin & Honoury Cheung The King's School, Canterbury

Cloud Seeding using Silver Iodide

Kashvi Shah The King's School, Canterbury

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Laura Chimdi Ota The King's School, Canterbury

Should Fluorine be put in our water?

Maria Constantinescu The King's School, Canterbury

Can you remember?

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Map and other practical details

Wi-fi access

Network: kingsguest User: ysj Password: kingsysj

Toilets

These are located under the Shirley Hall.

Refreshments

Drinks will be available in the Pupils’ Social Centre (under the Shirley Hall) before the Conference until 12.10 for poster presenters and visiting organisations, and after 18.30 for all.

Afternoon tea will be available in the Pupils’ Social Centre at 15.30 during the poster presentations.

Contact

If you need to contact one of the conference organisers during the day, please call 01227 595501 or ask one of the YSJ runner in blue T shirts for assistance.

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Workshops are in these areas

Main conference sessions Dinner (for invited guests)

Feedback

We would value any feedback you can give us so that we can make our next conference even better.

Either fill in this sheet, tear it out and pop it in the box in the Shirley Hall foyer or email us your thoughts at nk@ysjconf.info.

Thanks!

Did you like the choice and quality of the speakers and workshop leaders?

What did you think of the exhibition and poster presentations?

Any comments about the timing?

How were our practical arrangements, refreshments, etc?

Ideas for next time – theme, speakers, format?

Any other feedback?

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Quotable “soundbite” about the whole event: