the x-changeyearbook

Surrey, 2009SURREY

5-10 SEPT 09

welcome to...the x-change 2009!

Hi and welcome to the x-change 2009 yearbook!

Over the course of the week, our tireless team of volunteersscoured the British Science Festival in Guildford for theweird, wonderful and downright scandalous.

The x-change is a highlight of the Festival programme thatbrings together the best of the Fest. This year saw some all-star turns (Robert Winston, Bill Bryson, Simon Singh and Jim Al-Khalili), science magic from Lorelly Wilson (‘Chemistrywith Cabbage’), a racing car made from the leftovers ofyour weekly shop and a 3ft tall penguin named Bob.

So join us for a behind-the-scenes look at the x-change... Ifyou couldn’t make it, see what you missed and if you werethere... re-live it!

All this couldn’t have happened without our team so we’dlike to say a huge thank you to Nerys, Olivia, Tom, Henryand Cat, our intern Toby and, of course, the hostess with themostest... Sue Nelson.

Caution. The following contains nose-hair plucking, curlyfries and clingfilm bondage. Oh, and some science.

meet the teamAbout me: I graduated from the University of Bath with adegree in maths and physics and I’ve also spent time atthe BBC and in New York!

My highlight: This is tough because I had a great time. I really enjoyed the last day from putting one of our t-shirtson the Alan Turing statue to managing to pull off theevening event despite the fire alarm going off and BillBryson’s train being delayed!

Favourite speaker: Another tough one. All the speakerswere great, but my highlights were Stuart MacBride forbeing unexpectedly hilarious, Tamsin Gray for bringing Bob the penguin anddiscussing defrosting cheese, Maria McNamara for wrapping a volunteer incling film and Jim Al-Khalili for rounding off the last x-change so entertain-ingly.

The x-change?: Brilliant experience. I got to meet some great people andsee some fun science. Very busy and tiring but definitely worth it. I’d recommend it to a friend.

Favourite cheese: Cheddar

Superhero power: Invisibility

Nerys

About me: I graduated from the University of Leicester with an MPhys in physics with astrophysics with a year inEurope. I spent a year studying in French at the Universityof Nice and I spent most of it climbing up mountains,lounging on the beach and eating lots and lots of Frenchbread. I'm starting an MSc in Science Communication atImperial College in October. I'm très excited. I also play ultimate frisbee and I’m taking up street dancing.

My highlight: Either buying Robert Winston a coffee orwhen I saw him break dancing in the x-change office

[long story – Ed.]

Favourite speaker: Tamsin Gray. She talked about her work in Antarctica, in-cluding: how cold does it have to be for your tongue to stick to a metalpole...?

Most unexpected bit about the x-change: Learning about the confessions inHonesty Lab; the things some people have done…

Henry

meet the teamAbout me: I’m an interdisciplinary scientist. This means I doa little bit of everything. From zoology at Edinburgh to anMRes/PhD program at UCL where I’ve learnt a lot aboutphysics, maths, computing and microbiology.

My highlight: was when I stumbled across the schools programme. It was great to see so many youngsters getting excited about being taught science (well, actually they were excited by predicting how much pain

their hairiest teacher was about to experience… but they were still learning).

Favourite speaker: Robert Winston was on form, Simon Singh was charmingand Jim Al-Khalili’s rug has to get an honourable mention. However, my high-light has to be Stuart MacBride and his discussion of how much crack youcan fit in your… crack. I’ve never seen so much laughter at a science event and it gave a perfect example of how expert opinions canvary (or results can depend upon experimental methods).

Favourite cheese: a really good cheddar...

Super power: The ability to dig right to the bottom of the barrel in order tofind a poster pun?

Tom

About me: At the moment, I am fresh out of university, and I have a BSc in neuroscience and psychology (I know, not a real science) and a huge passion for allthings sciency.

My highlight: Being in the same pub as Robert Winston, JimAl-khalili and Bill Bryson.

Favourite speaker: Jim Al-Khalili. I’m no physicist but he isan excellent speaker with a marvellous hairy chest. Although saying that, there were lots of memorable speakers/speaker moments.

Favourite cheese: I want to be different and say something like Cornish Yargbut we can't always get what we want so it's got to be Cheddar.

Superpower: The power to morph into anything I like.

Final comment: I absolutely loved my week at the festival, it was like a biggeeky holiday and I'd do it again in a second.

Olivia

About me: After studying natural sciences at Durham University I headed over to Australia to study for a Graduate Diploma in Science Communication. During theyear we travelled around the country, performing scienceshows in regional schools. Nowadays, in my spare time I'ma freelance science writer.

My highlight: I'm torn between chatting to Bill Bryson on thephone, Stuart MacBride's opening quote regarding the extent of his research for his books ("Mostly, I just make s**tup") and going out with the x-change team for a well-earned break!

Favourite speaker: Got to be Jim Al-Khalili - such a good sport, and possiblythe only man I've seen unbutton his shirt on stage in the name of scienceequations.

Favourite cheese: Camembert

Superpower: To be in six places at once

Catmeet the team

About me: Once I was a simple physics with nuclear astrophysics graduate... Then I got the call from the British Science Association and became an intern working atHQ in swinging London. My job was to coordinate the x-change team and help them out as best I could... I’ve had the most amazing time and I didn’t really want toleave! However, time makes fools of us all and I went offto study for an MSc in Science Communications at UWE in Bristol.

My highlight: Seeing the two most famous moustaches in the business in thesame place at the same time - Dick Strawbridge and Robert Winston! Thewhole week was just the most fun though - unbelievably exhausting but brilliant.

Favourite speaker: Paddy Regan for being such a sport and Simon Singh forbeing utterly grand.

Favourite cheese: The soft one with garlic and herbs... I’m classy.

Superpower: Time travel... So I could be in more than one Festival session atonce.

Toby

Our host for the x-change was the bubbly, magnificent Sue Nelson. Journalist and broacaster,Sue has been presenting the x-change for the last 3years and this year she faced every topic under thesun... From dark matter to bumblebees and emperorpenguins to the history of space travel, Sue expertlysteered each evening away from the M25 of disastertowards the country hedgerows of discovery... Stop-ping to sniff the flowers of entertainment along theway. [That’s probably enough metaphor for now...Ed.]

“This year’s x-change was the best yet. 2009’s guestsincluded Robert Winston, Bill Bryson, Simon Singh, Jim Al-Khalili and crimewriter Stuart MacBride – who triggered an unforgettable discussion abouthow much cocaine could be stored inside a ‘man passage’.

The team is an important part of bringing it all together on the day andeveryone delivered. Communication is vital, a sense of humour is essentialand energy levels need to remain high (though afernoon chocolate andcoffee always helps).

Perhaps it’s because I’m a physics graduate, but Frank Close’s talk on antimatter and space scientist John Zarnecki’s tour of the solar system wereamong my favourite festival talks. Both appeared on the x-change, as didthe Honesty Lab’s Stefan Fafinski and Emily Finch, who surprised us all with anentertaining debate on social science and the legal system.

Highlights from the x-change? There were so many. But it’s the unexpectedthat often delights. So my top three, in no particular order, were: StuartMacBride (see above); Phil Nathan – who plucked nasal hair from a nuclearphysicist’s nose to find out which part of the body has the most pain receptors – and Jim Al-Khalili flashing his chest hair.

When scientists and those who use science can explain their work clearlyand with humour and occasional naughtiness, the x-change simply dazzles.”

Sue Nelson

the perfect science communicatorwhere:H = number of hand gesturesJ = brightness of jacketA = number of times someone says ‘amazing’C = amount of chest hair, lushness of moustache or height of quiff (use as appropriate) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8240096.stm

x-change - the blog

As you might expect on day one ofthe x-change it was hectic. Five science graduates sporting thebrightest pink t-shirts ever seen werelet loose on the Festival. Having spentall day attending events acrossGuildford, at 6.15pm in ChancellorsBar it was show time and the day’sbuild-up culminated in a mixture ofnerves, excitement, confusion andcurly fries.

Kerry Kirwan caught the crowd’s attention early on by waving chocolate and wine in the air. It transpires he’d used waste fats andalcohol to power his lean, mean,green F3 racing car, and carrots tomake the steering wheel. Little did Iknow that I could use the fibres tofashion car parts. I just thought youcould roast them for dinner. Hownaive.

Next up Nikki Gammans took usthrough her work, reintroducing aspecies of bumblebee that had be-come extinct in the UK. She’s planning to go over to New Zealandat the end of the year (it’s a toughlife being a scientist!) where thespecies still thrives, in order to selectand breed a population of queens tobring back with her.

And then… well… Stuart MacBride.Top crime author. ‘How do you re-search the science for your books?’Sue asked. ‘Well,’ he replied, ‘Mostly Ijust make stuff up.’ Interesting. Whenasked further as to whether he everchecks his science facts, Stuart

launched into a story regarding hisresearch into just how much cocainea character could smuggle inside hisbody. A gastroenterologist from theaudience joined in this discussion. 10minutes later, half the crowd were intears of laughter, a quarter were appalled and another quarter werereally wishing they weren’t in the middle of eating dinner. We neverdid find out how much you couldsmuggle – perhaps we’ll have toread the book.

A brisk return to science fact from science fiction came with the finalspeaker of the evening, PaddyRegan of the University of Surrey. As aleading physicist on exotic nucleiPaddy, (or Professor Polonium) washeavily involved in the UK media coverage of Alexander Litvinenko’sdeath from Polonium 210 poisoning in2006.

How can you top such a brilliantevening of diverse science spiel?

DAY 1 - butts, books and bees

First up was antarctic meteorologist,Tamsin Gray who brought her friendBob the penguin on his summer holsin Guildford. She ran a workshop forchildren to design Antarctic basesand the kids came up with monstertruck wheels to keep it out of thesnow and buildings that are alsoboats! Tamsin also taught us howcold it needs to be for your tongue tostick to a metal pole and that hardcheeses like cheddar do not defrostwell.

Next was Alex Murphy, an expert indark matter. Alex told us that darkmatter particles haven’t been foundyet because detectors are not sensitive enough, but with technological advances beingmade, we should have the tools todetect dark matter within the next 2-5 years. Expect big headlines whenthat happens (or embarrassed theorists if it doesn’t!)

Geologist Ted Nield discussed C PSnow’s two cultures – scientific andliterary minds. The audience got involved debating if this is still relevant

and complaining that the literarytypes do not embrace science. Tedpointed out that the arts exist to beappealing and entertaining; sciencedoes not and he ended on an interesting statistic: in the UK morepeople are members of badmintonclubs than have a science degree!Ted’s message? Scientists: get outmore.

Palaeontologist Maria McNamaratold us about her unusual approach –she doesn’t look for fossils, she makesthem. Maria watches birds decay inthe lab and found that her birds (unlike fossils) were not losing theirwings – a mat of bacteria and fungiwere forming around the bodies.Maria demonstrated this with a volunteer from the audience and aroll of cling film. When wrapped upMaria asked how easy it would be forher wings to fall off, “rather difficult”was the reply…

We discovered that Sue Nelson hasmet our final speaker, Professor JohnLucas, before but had only seen himsemi-naked – they go to the sameswimming pool! John moved swiftlyon with the arms race between agriculture and pests. An audiencemember suggested that disposing ofone pest would leave the nicheopen for another. John agreed thatthis was certainly possible and a reason the arms race continues.

“if the British Science Festival were apub crawl, the x-change would beconcentrated jello shots.”

x-change - the blogDAY 2 - nudity and cling film

x-change - the blog

Kick starting the penultimate eveningof the x-change was particle physicist, Frank Close. Shamelesslypromoting his new book ‘Antimatter’in the form of a fetching t-shirt, hebriefly guided us through the ins andouts of the matter. Talk fell to the inaccuracy of Dan Brown’s novel, ‘Angels & Demons’. Few people inthe audience admitted to havingread the book and fewer still the filmthat came out of it. His slot endedwith the question “So how did youmake publishing history writing abook about nothing?”

Bringing us back down to earth(quite literally) with plant medicinewas Dulcie Mulholland. Her recentwork included studying plant speciesin Africa and Madagascar, as well asa plant used by a Zulu tribe, to induce labour contractions. Concluding, she reported that thereare still many rainforest species yet tobe explored. Dulcie and her Botanistsidekick still have plenty to keepthem busy.

From good, honest plants to dishonest people, saw criminallawyers Emily Finch and Stefan Fafinski take to the stage to discussthe results of our online survey ‘Honesty Lab’ looking at public perceptions of honesty. The answerto the question on everyone’s mind,“How do you know if the people tak-ing the survey are telling the truth?”was, they don’t but they hope thatpeople will be honest…hmm…

Moving on from the dishonest publicto the journalists who just love to use(mostly) made up equations, SimonSingh told us why this really bugs him.He believes when non-science journalists and PR agencies approach a mathematician or a scientist asking them to make upequations it’s giving the wrong impression about science. He warnsthat some equations are supportedby serious scientific evidence, so thepublic needs to use logic. Ultimately,Simon advises any budding sciencejournalists to watch out for our Englishlibel laws.

The final speaker of the night took usback into the atmosphere andspace. Space scientist John Zarneckitalked about Titan, Saturn’s onlysatellite that has its own atmosphere,with liquid methane for water and icefor rocks. His latest plan (the TitanMare Explorer) is to work with NASA tofire a probe up to Titan in the hope itlands in one of its seas, to allow moreinvestigation of the satellite.

DAY 3 - space, lies and libel

Simon Singh

x-change - the blog

As the September sunlight waned itcast its orange glow on the eveningskies over Guildford and the last fewevents at the Festival closed theirdoors to the applause of satisfied science enthusiasts. An unusual calmsettled around; everywhere except,Chancellors Bar, where a buzz wasgrowing...

The first guest on at the x-changewas Robert Winston. During the buildup he caused the barmaid to run outscreaming to tell all her co-workerswhen she served him a coffee. Withour host Sue Nelson, he raised theissue of de-restricting access to fertility treatment, which is currentlynot happening in the health system.

The moustached man was followedby chemist Lorelly Wilson. She waspromoting simple science experiments that can be done athome to encourage children to getinvolved with science. She demonstrated a few experimentsthat she uses in her show while firingbanter at a front row of particularlylively University of Surrey physicists.

Craig Underwood took us into orbitwith his tale of the first UK satelliteUoSAT-OSCAR 9 which he helpedbuild for amateur radio. The satellitefeatures the voice synthesiser chipfrom an educational toy so school children could tune into the talkingclock coming from space. He evendid an accurate impression of therobot’s voice.

Phil Nathan was on next, leading anexperiment in trying to find the areaof the body with the most pain receptors. The aforementioned physicists must have regretted theirliveliness when one of them was chosen to have hairs pulled from hishead, chest, foot and nose.

The writer Bill Bryson appeared atease on stage despite this being hisfirst Festival. Talking about the magicthat science carries, he mentionedthe need to have science classes inschools that cater for those childrenwho will not go on to persue a careerin science.

The final guest Jim Al-Khalili closedthe last x-change with a riotous outgassing about Sue Nelson’s blatant discrimination against him inher perfect science communicatorequation in her blog. Sporting neither facial hair nor a large quiff[vital for a communicator - Ed], hedemanded the equation bechanged to include chest hair – hethen demonstrated to the audiencethat he had a clear advantage overthe competition.

DAY 4 - hair-raising...

Sue Nelson talks to Bill Bryson

x-change - get involved!The x-change is an annual attraction at theBritish Science Festival and you could get involved next year!

In 2010, the British Science Festival will be coming to Birmingham and the x-changewill be at Aston University!

If you’re a science undergraduate or post graduate witha strong interest in public engagement, initiative and enthusiasm, you could be partof next year’s team.

It consists of four days of intense work at the British ScienceFestival where your abilities to multi-task, think on your feetand work under pressure will be pushed to the limit. However, you’ll get fantastic experience in many aspectsof public engagement, event management and thechance to get involved with one of the most popularevents of the Festival.

For information about how to apply and more about the x-change, take a look at: www.britishscienceassociation.org/x-change. Or if you have any further questions, email us atevents[at]britishscienceassociation.org

the x-change in Europe!Over the past 6 years, the x-change has been part of the Euro-science Open Forum in Stockholm (‘04), Munich (‘06) andBarcelona (‘08). It will be coming to Turin in 2010 so keep an eyeout!

Sue Nelson with the x-change team and Jim Al-Khalili