Scientists

How DOES magnetism work?

Last year I saw A C Grayling talk on happiness and it’s importance. He said that he bans his students from using the word ‘happy’, that it’s a lazy portmanteau word. He thinks that if you are forced to choose a different word – hopeful, exhilarated, content – you’ll think about what you really mean far more clearly. I think the same can sometimes be true of jargon. Scientists taking part in I’m a Scientist have told us before that explaining yourself without using jargon is hard work, but unexpectedly rewarding. It means you have to think through what you mean and it exposes your mental shortcuts. We saw a great example of this in Imaging Zone. A fairly innocuous-seeming question (Why do magnets attract and repel?) pretty much lead to the scientists realising that they don’t actually know how magnets worked. Not really. Not when they tried to actually explain it to … Continue reading →

Posted on July 13, 2010 by in Evaluation, IAS Event, Scientists | 2s Comments

Don't Panic! More advice for our scientists…

OK, judging from Twitter you are all getting worried about what you’ve let yourselves in for and fretting about getting evicted. I’m writing this to reassure you, although, I’m afraid most of you are going to get evicted and there’s not much I can do about it. Sorry! The moderators and I do hate the evictions. It’s excruciating having to say goodbye to people who’ve put in lots of effort and been great contestants. But evictions are a big part of what makes the event exciting for young people, they create a buzz and a tension. And I guess we should all remember that it’s the taking part that counts (tell that to my Dad on pub quiz night…). However, these are my top tips on surviving evictions, based on running events in this format over 6 years. I think the things that make students vote for someone are:- 1. … Continue reading →

Posted on May 18, 2010 by in IAS Event, Scientists | Comments Off

Advice to our scientists

We’ve had a lot of emails asking practical questions about taking part in June, and I think the best thing is to put the answers here for everyone to see. I suspect many of you who haven’t written would still like to know the answers! Zones There will be 20 zones on June. The last event in March only had 5 zones, so this time is a lot bigger! In each zone there are 5 scientists, competing for a prize of £500. There are 20 classes of students per zone, usually this will mean about 400 students. Only those students can ask questions, have live chats and vote in that zone, although everyone can read the questions and answers and so on. Themed zones 10 of the zones are themed. The themed zones are:- Brain Genes Are we too clean? IVF Imaging Evolution Cancer research Sports Science Drugs Development Use … Continue reading →

Posted on May 17, 2010 by in IAS Event, Scientists | 1 Comment

Guest blogger: IAS March 2009 winner Gillian Hamilton

Normally young people don’t get much say in science funding, but in I’m a Scientist they choose which scientist they think should get a prize of £500 to communicate their work. March 2009 winner Gillian Hamilton has very kindly agreed to be our guest blogger this week and tell everyone about what she did with the money. I decided to take part in the I’m a Scientist project because I liked the idea of chatting to high school students and telling them more about what a career in science entails, something I didn’t know much about when I was at school. From the feedback it sounds like the majority of students enjoyed the experience which is a great result. Winning was completely unexpected, and I’m still thrilled about it! I have used the prize money to attend the annual Alzheimer’s Research Trust conference which was held this year at the … Continue reading →

Posted on May 1, 2009 by in How Science Works, Scientists | Tagged Alzheimer's, conference, Gillian Hamilton, Jim Broadbent, Opera Group, prize money, The Lion's Face | Comments Off

Open the Floodgates!*

Our next I’m a Scientist event is about to start on Monday and we’re all very excited/tired. The site is up and running, and next week the scientists and the students start talking (and the students start voting). Teachers have been introducing their classes to the event this week, and doing some of the preparatory lessons to get the students thinking. The IVF debate (teachers can download lesson materials from here for free) is still a big favourite, ‘my 6th form did the IVF debate today … their response….. can we do another …. just as successful as least year! I love it … it is so simple to use and the kids love the role play.’ The scientists taking part this month are:- Gillian Hamilton University of Edinburgh I am looking at the genetic differences between people and whether these can result in a person developing Alzheimer’s disease. Mark … Continue reading →

Posted on February 27, 2009 by in IAS Event, Scientists | Tagged flooding, IAS 2009, IVF debate, March event, teaching materials | 1 Comment

Scientific hotties

I was at a book launch at the Science Museum on Monday night. An old lecturer of mine, Graham Farmelo, has written a fascinating biography of Paul Dirac, a somewhat forgotten hero of quantum physics. I’ve never been to a book launch before (before you all start thinking I’m attending a constant round of glamorous parties) so it was all very exciting. Apparently what I should have worn to fit in was a black suit and a beard, but hey, I’ll know next time. The canapés on sticks were good. Anyway, I ended up getting chatting to a guy called Tim, who was very funny, and his similarly scurrilous friend (whose name I typically failed to transfer to long term storage). I discovered afterwards that Tim was Prof Tim Molloy, Head of Creative Direction for the Science Museum. Not quite sure what that means, but it sounds very sweeping. I … Continue reading →

Posted on January 28, 2009 by in Scientists | Tagged science museum, sexy scientists | 19s Comments

The students decided. And the scientists spent the money.

During I’m a Scientist students voted and decided which scientist they wanted to give £500 to. It’s very powerful that the event gives young people a real say about something: it makes the whole thing much more real and vivid and makes them feel important. As one student said, “[I liked best] how it was totally up to us and not influenced by adults.”

Posted on December 4, 2008 by in IAS Event, Scientists | Tagged conferences, feedback, prize money, Royal Meteorological Society | Comments Off

Trendy IAS mugs are here (photos updated!)

A crateload of very stylish “I’m a Scientist, Get me out of Here” mugs just arrived at Gallomanor HQ. Mugs are on the way, as a small thank you present, to scientists, teachers, and friends of IAS. More info (and pictures) after the cut. In other news, the final evaluation report is nearly finished and will be available soon.

Posted on August 14, 2008 by in Scientists | Tagged conclusions, final report, I'm a Scientist, mug, mugs, pictures, report | Comments Off

Listen to Liv Hibbitt on BBC Radio Oxford

BBC Radio Oxford interviewed Dr. Liv Hibbitt this week. You can listen to the interview, hear all about Liv’s experience of I’m a Scientist, her gene therapy research, who could beat Chuck Norris in a fight, and find out why Marmite is better in New Zealand. Cheers, Liv! If you can’t listen to MP3s on your computer, drop me an email (admin@imascientist.org.uk) and I will send you a written transcript of the interview. Audio courtesy of BBC Oxford 95.2FM. Their website is www.bbc.co.uk/oxford Click here to listen (apologies for last week’s broken link… it works now, honest!)

Posted on July 4, 2008 by in IAS Event, Scientists | Tagged gene therapy, IAS publicity, Liv Hibbit, marmite, press, Radio Oxford | Comments Off

The Unbearable Lightness of Being a Moderator

Moderating I’m a Scientist was like driving through a terrific summer storm. Now the chatrooms have cleared, and emails have slowed to a patter, it’s time to venture out and take stock. Goodbye, question and answer sessions; hello, feedback forms! My favourite feedback response so far: “The scientists SEEM like normal people but I can’t be quite sure…” – thanks to imwithstupid for that comment.

Posted on July 2, 2008 by in IAS Event, Science Education, Scientists | Tagged comments, evictions, feedback, I'm a Scientist, marmite, Moderator, prize, prizes | 1 Comment

We have our winners!

Well, the event is all over now (bar the evaluation…) and the students have spoken. The winners of the first ever I’m a Scientist, Get me out of Here! are:- GCSE 1 – Jenny Barnes GCSE 2 – Ian Walker 6th Form – Nick Dickens Thanks so much to everyone for taking part. The votes were all really close, the scientists all did great jobs, and the students and teachers had such enthusiasm and energy. We’re off to the pub now to celebrate. And then I, personally, plan to sleep all weekend! Although I do feel a bit sad it’s over.

Posted on June 27, 2008 by in IAS Event, Scientists | Tagged end, pub, sleep, winners | Comments Off

We've chosen the scientists!

This has been even harder than choosing the schools. We ended up cutting out bits of paper with everyone’s details on and moving them all around the desk, making up fantasy groups and trying to see if each group had got everything covered. I really wanted to include almost everyone, but we had to say no to some really great people. However, I think the 15 scientists we’ve picked (five for each group of students) will be fantastic – good communicators, enthusiastic, with interesting work to discuss and raising some thought-provoking issues. I would publish the details on here, but I’ve not had confirmation back from everyone yet. But I can tell you that topics covered range from studying climate change to engineering solutions for rectal incontinence. Which is really quite a range, however you look at it. Teacher packs We’re sending the teacher packs out today to participating teachers. … Continue reading →

Posted on May 23, 2008 by in How Science Works, IAS Event, Science Education, Scientists | Tagged climate change, How Science Works teaching materials, lesson plans, pilot, rectal incontinence, scientist, teacher packs | 1 Comment

What we've found out from scientists so far

We’ve been asking lots of questions of the sort of people who might get involved in the event, to work out what they want from it, how we should set things up, etc. Apparently this is called formative evaluation*.

Posted on February 22, 2008 by in Scientists | Tagged formative evaluation, project development, research, Scientists | Comments Off

What can you do?

I want to take part with my class ❯

I want to take part as a scientist ❯

I want to find out about funding I’m a Scientist ❯

What is I’m a Scientist?

I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here is an online activity where school students get to meet and interact with scientists.

It’s a competition between scientists, where the students are the judges.

Students challenge the scientists over intense, fast-paced, online live Chats. Then they Ask the scientists all the questions they want to, and Vote for their favourite scientist to win a prize of £500 to communicate their work with the public.