Megan was voted the winner of the Energy Zone in November 2016. Here she reports back on how she used her £500 prize for her own science outreach project
If you’d like the chance to win funding for your own public engagement work, apply for the next I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here: imascientist.org.uk/scientist-apply
As a final year chemistry PhD student at the University of Edinburgh I have taken full advantage of the opportunities I’ve had to engage school children and the wider public with research taking place at the University, and science in general.
Having lead school science workshops, organised science festival drop-ins, hosted student lab visits and volunteered at public open days I was keen to do something a little different with my prize money.
My idea came from doing a walking tour of the city, which opened my eyes to the fascinating history of science here in Edinburgh. I wanted to take the idea of a science themed walking tour, and inject a whole lot more fun by designing a city wide, month long, Science Treasure Hunt!
I spent countless weekends trawling the city for hidden scientific landmarks and narrowed my list down to 10. These points of interest included graves, statues and plaques commemorating famous scientists, exhibitions in museums and art galleries and geological formations in local parks. I wrote a little about the scientific and historical significance of each location, and for each one came up with a question which could only be solved by finding each clue.
The David Brewster Statue. But how many fingers is he missing? You’ll have to come and see him to and find out!
Science Treasure Hunt was designed and printed and ready to launch by mid September. On a public open day I coaxed visitors and passers-by into the School of Chemistry by making ice cream using liquid nitrogen and handed out over a hundred copies of the treasure hunt map and clues.
Making liquid nitrogen ice cream at the Edinburgh Doors Open Day and Science Treasure Hunt launch.
Entrants had one month to solve each clue and submit their final answers, as well as posting their all-important #ScienceSelfie to our twitter or Instagram pages for a chance to win a special bonus prize.
All correct entries were entered into a draw and three winners were chosen. An additional winner of the selfie competition was chosen and each winner received a certificate and a mini scientific microscope with instructions to conduct their own science experiments at home.
With the remaining money, an Edinburgh based illustrator and graphic designer have been commissioned to help design a second edition of the treasure hunt, to be run in the 2018 school Easter holidays. I am in discussions with the public engagement coordinator at the University and hope that the treasure hunt can be run as an annual event.
