Famelab returns to Swansea

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Can we beat bacteria? Are we rational machines? Can we live forever? These questions may be among those answered as FameLab 2016 returns to Swansea this month, kicking off a year of public science events hosted at Swansea University.

Famelab 2016

Can we beat bacteria? Are we rational machines? Can we live forever? These questions may be among those answered as Famelab 2016 returns to Swansea this month, kicking off a year of public science events hosted by Swansea University.

Famelab UK is the UK’s biggest competition to discover new talent in the communication of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).  The event which will at the Dylan Thomas Centre on the 27th January 2016 at 7.30 pm, is the first in a series Swansea University public science events.  Among these science events will be the monthly Science Cafe, Super Science Sunday during British Science Week (11th - 20th March), Soapbox Science (September) and will culminate in the British Science Festival being held in the city in September. 

Famelab is open to people aged 21 or over, working in a STEM field.  Contestants will have just three minutes to pitch a concept in an engaging way to non-scientists and will be assessed on three qualities: content, clarity and charisma. 

The event is held in partnership with Swansea Science Café and contestants are offered an optional, but highly recommended, training session at 4.30pm – 6:30pm before the presentations begin at 7.30pm.

The panel of expert judges will be academic and TV presenter Dr Rhys Jones,  Professor Matt Jones, Head of the College of Science and Wendy Sadler of Science Made Simple.  The panel will offer some constructive feedback and select four people to go through to the regional final, which takes place in Cardiff on Thursday 25th February 2016 at Techniquest’s After Hours evening.

The winner of the Wales and West final will go to the Cheltenham Park Hotel on the 1st-3rd April for a weekend science communication masterclass while the overall UK final winner  will win £1,000 and up to £750 to spend on a science communication activity and also can compete in the international final at Cheltenham Science Festival in June 2016.

How to enter

Participants can register directly with FameLab UK or check the FameLab website for more information about what the judges will be looking for and some tips for success.

Alternatively anyone with queries about the Swansea Famelab 2016 heats can contact:-

Rhian Melita Morris r.m.morris@swansea.ac.uk (College of Science)

Sharon Bishop s.t.bishop@swansea.ac.uk (College of Engineering).