Some of Griffith University’s biggest names in science will trade the lab for the pub when fun and informative evening sessions kick off at pubs around the country in May.
From May 14-16, the Pint Of Science festival will give Gold Coasters the opportunity to sit at the cutting edge of science with a beer in hand at Parkwood Tavern, opposite Griffith’s Gold Coast campus.
School of Environment and Science Senior Lecturer Dr Erik Streed, from Griffith’s Centre for Quantum Dynamics and the Institute for Glycomics, is among the university’s science experts appearing on the line-up and said the festival was the perfect opportunity to connect his work with the public.
“A curious, well-informed public is important for society,” Dr Streed said.
“It’s not just about me saying something is true as ‘an authority’ but that I can make a persuasive case, backed up with evidence, and that the people listening have the capacity to question my claims.”
Dr Streed’s talk will focus on his group’s work in taking pictures of a single isolated atoms, their shadows, and a recent collaboration with CSIRO on using those pictures to determine an atom’s location to create a force sensor.
School of Environment and Science Senior Lecturer Georgette Leah Burns, from Griffith’s Environmental Futures Research Institute, will focus her talk on how to manage interactions between people and wildlife using a compassionate conservation approach.
Dr Burns said beer and science were a perfect combination to help discussion flow between academics and the public on issues that directly relate to them.
“Not everyone feels comfortable, or motivated, to go to a public talk in a university-type setting, so taking research into the pub encourages academics to get out of their ivory tower and allows non-academics to hear about something that is hopefully of interest to them in a setting they might prefer,” she said.
Pint of Science started in the UK in 2013 and will this year be showcasing more localresearch than ever before, with volunteer-led events taking place in more than 300 cities in 21 countries worldwide.
Pint of Science Australia Co-Director Jirana Boontanjai said they wanted “to showAustralians all the interesting research happening right here in our own backyard. Pint ofScience is all about having researchers connect with their local community in a familiar,relaxed setting — the pub”.
Pint of Science is on 14-16 May, 6:30pm doors for 7:00pm start, at Parkwood Tavern​ Wintergreen Dr and Olsen Ave, Parkwood.
For full program details and ticket sales: https://pintofscience.com.au/events/goldcoast