Category Archives: Science Communication

‘Science in Unexpected Places’ | 19th June, Eva Amsen

Posted on June 13, 2024 by MarshalledThoughts | Leave a comment

What do rubber ducks at sea have in common with edible art and a Japanese TV show?

On Wednesday 19th June PubSci is delighted to welcome celebrated science writer and blogger, Dr. Eva Amsen, to share favourite episodes from her entertaining new book, “Hey, There’s Science in This“.

Ducks Ahoy! (Image: Gaetan Lee – Creative Commons)

Real science can be found in the most unlikely places, and Eva Amsen has collected some of the best and funniest examples in her book, Hey, There’s Science in This.

For tonight’s talk, Eva has selected her favourite amusing stories from the book to delight, entertain and enlighten us as she explores the connections between hot springs and genetics, the psychology behind your study playlist, hiking trail geology and much more.

Hey There’s Science in This is an approachable and fun read that has garnered five star reviews since its publication on 28th March. Copies will be available to purchase at the event.

Come to June’s PubSci and discover the fun science behind the most unexpected things.

Places for this popular talk are very limited. Book yours on Eventbrite now for an entertaining evening that’s bound to satisfy everyone’s inner nerd. Copies of Eva’s books will be on sale after the talk.

“Hey, There’s Science in This” was published in March to five star reviews.

Join us upstairs at the Old King’s Head, near London Bridge tube on Wednesday 19th June.

Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Talks run for ~45 minutes and are followed by a Q&A session. The Old King’s Head has a happy hour before 7pm, and the kitchen serves excellent pub grub.

Reserve your place now! PubSci is a pay-what-you-can event – please consider making a donation with your reservation to help us cover our costs.

We use Eventbrite to manage event numbers. Subscribe to be notified of forthcoming talks

• • •

About the speaker

Photo Credit: Donna Ford

Eva Amsen is a science writer based in London specialising in the interface between science and culture. She has written about science and scientists for numerous publications, including Nature, the British Medical Journal, Undark, Hakai, and the Forbes website, where she has a regular column.

Eva began her writing career with a science blog during her Biochemistry PhD at the University of Toronto. Some of those blog posts were collected into her first book, Hey, There’s Science in This, published in March 2024. She still blogs regularly via her Substack called Mixture.

Eva’s second book, Biology: 100 Ideas in 100 Words, allows readers to understand the most important concepts in biology through concise, easy-to-read summaries. Part of a cutting-edge series in partnership with The Science Museum, it was published by DK in May 2024.

PubSci is delighted to welcome Eva to the latest in our series of monthly talks.

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Support PubSci

There is no charge for attending PubSci talks, but we have a traditional whip-round to cover expenses – consider it a “Pay What You Can” event. Very few of us carry cash these days, so you can contribute digitally through our TipJar or make a donation when registering for ticketed events with Eventbrite. Please help PubSci continue putting on events. PubSci has no other source of funding.

We aim to keep PubSci accessible for all, although it is unsuitable for under 18s as we meet in the function room of a pub. Regrettably, there is no wheelchair access.

Check out the Future Events page where you can also subscribe to our Google Calendar so PubSci events automatically appear in your own Calendar. You can find all our links on our LinkTree.

• • •

We used to meet on the first Wednesday of the month but PubSci is now on the third Wednesday. Join us upstairs at the Old King’s Head near London Bridge Underground (Borough High Street east side exit) every month apart from December for a regular dose of Sipping, Supping & Science.

Address:

The Old King’s Head (upstairs room)
King’s Head Yard
45-49 Borough High Street
London SE1 1NA

News, ‘Thank You’s and Forward Views to 2024

Posted on December 18, 2023 by MarshalledThoughts | Leave a comment

There’s no December PubSci, so here are a few seasonal goodies to keep you going

Welcome to PubSci’s year-end blog post.

If you’re new to PubSci, welcome! You can find out more about Science In The Pub at the bottom of this post. You also can subscribe to this blog to keep up with PubSci events by submitting your email address on any page, or follow us on social media (including our LinkedIn group) via these links.

• • •

2023 …and we’re back in the room!

We’ve had a great year in PubSci, finally returning to live events in the spring, three years after the April 2020 talk was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Little did I know how long it would be before we could run live events again.

It was quite an uphill battle to restart. Several beloved venues closed their doors for good and many surviving ones began charging eye-watering prices for room hire in the face of skyrocketing energy prices. I had a super venue lined up in September 2022, which sadly fell through when their room-hire price went through the roof.

In the end, we were delighted to return to our longstanding home at the Old King’s Head in Borough where the beer is good and the staff are friendly and helpful. Sadly the meeting room is up narrow stairs, meaning we remain inaccessible to people with limited mobility but the alternative was not to restart at all.

Huge thanks to Greg the landlord for welcoming PubSci back and opening the kitchen for us midweek. We also learnt that the pizzeria next door is truly excellent and Greg is happy for us to bring them in on the rare occasions the kitchen is closed due to staff shortage.

A massive thank you to all our speakers this year. See below for links to the entries for all their talks. We don’t livestream or record PubSci. If you’ve never been to an event and would like to know what we’re about, check out these videos of some “Virtual PubSci” events held during lockdown.

Of course none of this would mean anything if it weren’t for you, the friends, followers and audience of PubSci. And it wouldn’t be possible to host PubSci without on-the-night and behind-the-scenes assistance from the PubSci regulars.

• • •

In The News

November’s talk was the last event of the year, and happened to be attended by Eva Amsen who writes about science and culture for Forbes. After the talk, Eva interviewed November’s speaker, Briony Marshall, writing about Briony’s work in Forbes and mentioning PubSci. Eva was kind enough to link to PubSci again in her personal blog post about it on SubStack. I highly recommend subscribing to Eva’s SubStack (called Mixture), “where science meets creativity, culture and curiosity”. If you see this, Eva, sorry about your meagre supper of crisps! Greg tells me the chef called in sick at the last minute.

“Earth Time and Disruption” (detail) by Briony Marshall

This was also the year PubSci made a great connection with the Royal Institution of Great Britain, home of the famous Christmas Lectures, a tradition begun by Michael Faraday in 1825. It was watching Prof Eric Laithwaite’s Christmas lectures in the 1970s that inspired my own love of STEM. If you see Ri events mentioned in a PubSci blog post from, not only are these events I personally recommend, there may be special ticket deals for PubSci’s friends and followers. Twice this year the Ri has recommended PubSci events to readers of its own, extensive mailing list.

• • •

2023 in Review

PubSci relaunched live events on Weds 19th April with a joyous celebration of STEM comprising short talks by Kate Viscardi, George Holdaway, Mike Lucibella and myself. We heard about standards and deviations, quasicrystals and Islamic art, Antarctic science, genius cats and levitating hamsters. A huge thank you to Kate, George and Mike for helping me get us off to such a great start.

Our next speaker was unwell, so in May I dived into the world of misinformation with Falsehoods and Fallacies – Framing COVID-19 in the misinformation pandemic.

In June we were honoured to host US-based maths communicator, Eugenia Cheng, who slotted PubSci into her UK book tour for Is Maths Real? with a talk which left many visibly moved by Eugenia’s humanistic take on maths education.

July saw the return of a PubSci favourite, Prof. Chris French, with Putting Paranormal Claims to the Test, in which he detailed his department’s investigation of purported paranormal abilities.

R to L: James, Mike, Richard with James’ amazing neutrino mass-state demonstration (and beer).

In August, award-winning science writer James Riordon flew over to talk about how neutrinos could answer the biggest questions in the universe in Ghost Particle (the day before giving a more family-friendly version of his talk at the Ri).

In September we’d hoped to welcome our great friend, NHM’s Dr Erica McAlister, but academic commitments meant she had to reschedule for 2024. Erica’s replacement, Dr Michal Williamson of IoZ, London didn’t disappoint, with an utterly fascinating talk on The Weird and Wonderful World of Eels!

October saw Dr Stuart Eves treat us to a whistle-stop tour of planetary bodies in A Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Solar System and we hope Stuart will return to talk about moons of the solar system before we complete another circuit of the sun.

The eight planets lined up to compare their sizes

The eight planets and their moons (Courtesy of CactiStaccingCrane).

2023’s programme concluded in November with Briony Marshall (no relation) talking about Art and Science in the Age of Climate Fear. You can get an idea about Briony’s talk by reading this Forbes article about her work.

In December it was always our tradition to host the PubSci Christmas Quiz featuring the famous “Name that Christmas Spirit” round, courtesy of Christmas cake-baker extraordinaire, Kate Viscardi.

Alas, moving to the third Wednesday of the month makes that impractical this year, so we’re skipping December and looking forward to January.

• • •

Looking forward to 2024

We kick off the new year with somebody who will be familiar to attendees: our very own Mike Lucibella. Mike spent five seasons in Antarctica as editor and photographer of The Antarctic Sun, official paper of the US Antarctic Program.

On Wednesday 17th January Mike will give the full version of the short talk he gave us in April about the vital research carried out at Antarctic stations and what it can tell us about the future of our fragile planet.

Following that that we can look forward to talks on Maths, Magic, Menopause, and Murder, not forgetting Flies, Flight and Fusion.

Until then everyone at PubSci Towers wish you Happy Saturnalia, Yule, Christmas, Hanukah, Eid al-Fitr, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Bodhi, Ōmisoka…

See you in 2024.

Richard Marshall, programmer, producer and host of PubSci

• • •

About PubSci

Science in the Pub (PubSci) is a STEM outreach initiative for scientists, the sci-adjacent and the sci-curious alike. Events are held in non-traditional venues such as a pub meeting room. Our current home is the Old King’s Head near London Bridge Station.

PubSci is entirely voluntary run and audience-funded – there is no other funding source. Nonetheless, we don’t charge for tickets so that our talks are accessible to all. See below for ways to support PubSci.

PubSci: Science, Sipping, Supping.

https://linktr.ee/pubsci

Join us upstairs at the Old King’s Head on the third Wednesday of the month. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. The pub has a happy hour before 7pm, and the kitchen serves excellent pub grub.

• • •

Support PubSci.

There is no charge for attending PubSci talks, but we have a whip-round to cover expenses. Since few of us carry cash now, you can contribute digitally by putting a few quid in the virtual whip-round or make a donation when registering for a free event ticket. Please help PubSci continue to put on events.

We aim to keep PubSci accessible for all, although it is unsuitable for under 18s as we meet in the function room of a pub. Regrettably, there is no wheelchair access.

Please check our Future Events page where you can also subscribe to our iCal feed. You can find all our links on our LinkTree.

• • •

Address:

The Old King’s Head (upstairs room)
King’s Head Yard
45-49 Borough High Street
London SE1 1NA

‘Art and Science in the Age of Climate Fear’ | 15th November 2023 | Briony Marshall

Posted on October 31, 2023 by MarshalledThoughts | 2 comments

How can art contribute to a public understanding of science in an era of existential threats?

On Wednesday 15th November PubSci is delighted to welcome award-winning sculptor, Briony Marshall, who draws on a Masters degree in biochemistry to create science-inspired sculptures and installations. In this talk she will explore the role of art in communicating science and the place of science in understanding art.

[Free to attend but donations to running costs are greatly appreciated]

Sculpture of a hexagonal molecule made from human figures cast in bronze

Sculpture of the cyclohexane molecule at Tonbridge School (Credit: Briony Marshall)

Good sci-art goes beyond simply illustrating a topic, it offers insights into the deeper meanings behind (and implications of) its subject matter. Blending an Oxford science background with a fine art training, Briony sees art practice as a form of research and asks what artists can contribute that goes beyond traditional scientific methodology.

So, is “Sci-Art” just science-as-art or can it also be art-as-science? Is it possible to combine art and science without compromising either? Briony believes it is not only possible, it is essential to do so.

Briony’s latest public artwork, Plastic Mountain, was created with schools, volunteers and other members of the community in West Norwood to highlight the persistence of microplastic waste in the environment. It remains on public view outside West Norwood Library and Picture house until mid November. See it if you can – details here.

• • •

A monolithic sculpture, made from layers of compacted earth, resembles a geological section as it stands out against the night sky

Layers of Bournemouth. Briony Marshall

For this talk, Briony will look at neuroaesthetics from an artist’s point of view and consider how art can contribute to the public understanding of, and respect for, science. She will also share her own experiences as an artist deciding what projects to work on in our age of complex and existential threats.

Once again we’ll be using Eventbrite ticketing for this event. Book early to avoid disappointment.

Don’t forget that PubSci doesn’t charge an entry fee as such, but we rely entirely on attendee contributions to cover the cost of running these events.

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Join us upstairs at the Old King’s Head, near London Bridge station. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. The Old King’s Head has a happy hour before 7pm, and the kitchen serves excellent pub grub.

• • •

About the speaker

A female sculptor wearing paint-spattered overalls in her studio

Briony in the sculpture studio at Pangolin London

Briony Marshall MRSS is a professional sculptor and installation artist who finds solace and meaning in science. To quote her heroine, Rachel Carson: “Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure [a lifetime].”

She has a Masters in Biochemistry from Oxford University and a diploma in Fine Arts from The Art Academy where she is now Head of Professional Development as well as pursuing her own sculpture practice from her London studio.

While at Oxford she was editor of both The Oxford Student and ISIS.

In 2021 she founded Planet STEAM to help people of all ages and backgrounds understand and appreciate science by creating public artworks which explore today’s world and the complicated threats and opportunities faced by society.

She has been a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors since 2008 and in 2016 she became one of the ‘175 Face of Chemistry’ in celebration of the 175th anniversary of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Her latest public art commission, Plastic Mountain, juxtaposes society’s addiction to disposable plastics with the geological ages of the Earth. It remains on show outside West Norwood Library until mid-November and has attracted local and national media interest.

Briony is currently campaigning for a public sculpture in honour of Kathleen Lonsdale, the pioneering pacifist, prison reformer and X-ray crystallographer who proved the structure of the Benzene ring and gave the world 3-d molecular models using ping pong balls!

Don’t miss the chance to join Briony at PubSci this November at ‘Art and science in an age of fear’

[Don’t forget to set a featured image to replace the default one (in the “Post” settings on the right), add categories and Tags, and write a brief summary in the Excerpt box]

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Support PubSci.

There is no charge for attending PubSci talks, but we have a whip-round to cover expenses. Because so few of us carry cash these days, you can contribute digitally too by putting a few quid in the virtual whip-round. Please help PubSci continue to put on events.

We aim to keep PubSci accessible for all, although it is unsuitable for under 18s as we meet in the function room of a pub. Regrettably, there is no wheelchair access.

Please check our Future Events page where you can also subscribe to our iCal feed. You can find all our links on our LinkTree.

• • •

We used to meet on the first Wednesday of the month but PubSci is now on the third Wednesday.

Address:

The Old King’s Head (upstairs room)
King’s Head Yard
45-49 Borough High Street
London SE1 1NA

2 Comments

Posted in Climate Change, Events, Popular Science, Pubsci, Sci-Art, Science, Science Communication, talks

Tagged Arts, Climate_Change, event, Pubsci, Science, science in the pub

Category Archives: Science Communication

‘Science in Unexpected Places’ | 19th June, Eva Amsen

News, ‘Thank You’s and Forward Views to 2024

‘Art and Science in the Age of Climate Fear’ | 15th November 2023 | Briony Marshall

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