COULD this be the ultimate citizen science experiment? Luring non-geeks into discussions about tracking microbats or radio stars by sharing a pint of beer with them in a local pub.
That’s the aim for the Pint of Science Festival, which is holding the Mind, Body and Soul chatfest at the Leopold Hotel in Bicton on May 15 from 7pm.
Pint of Science hopes to build appreciation and engagement with science to an alternative audience through the unconventional, familiar and approachable locations.
The festival originated in the UK as a volunteer-run event, and as a result of its overwhelming success has made it all the way to Perth, with two events also being held in Mt Hawthorn.
• Grace Blackburn will test if the audience is smarter than a maggie.
Pint Of Science media manager Zac Arkley said the festival aims to “make the conversation of science more engaging”.
“The whole point of the Pint of Science is trying to bring science, that is difficult to access on a daily basis, to a general audience,” Mr Arkley said.
The festival comes after a particularly difficult decade for the science community, with cut-backs to budgets, attacks on climate change researches and even the axing of the science portfolio by the former Abbott government.
Mr Arkley-Smith says that at a political level it’s clear science isn’t sufficiently prioritised.
“We’re trending downwards. holding science as centre to policy decisions – particularly with the climate debate.”
University of WA scientist Grace Blackburn will talk about the challenges she sets magpies to evaluates their intelligence .
Ms Blackburn says she’ll also be testing the audience to see if they are smarter than a magpie.
“It’s interesting; magpies are very polarising, you either love them or you’re terrified of them and you don’t go near them, as you’re terrified of getting swooped.”
Also on the bill that night is Murdoch Uni’s award-winning biochemistry lecturer Garth Maker who’ll be reveal what’s really in dietary supplements, and UWA archaeologist and heritage specialist Sven Ouzman who’ll be talking about WA’s rich heritage and its poor protection.
Tix $8 from pintofscience.com.au
by STELLA PEARSE