Click on the video above to re-watch the UoG Science Slam Alum event (19/06/2020)
Since 2013, the University of Glasgow Science and Engineering Graduate School team have been running fun evenings of science communication called ‘Science Slams’. These are usually held at a beautiful Glasgow venue called Cottiers Theatre, and feature PhD students explaining research in a fun and engaging manner, whilst the audience sip fancy cocktails all evening! In short, they are a delight!
But in 2020 COVID-19 and lockdown reared its ugly head. Lots of science communication events were either postponed or cancelled all together. Another option was to move the event online. Thing is… participating in a Science Slam isn’t easy. It’s a big performance and it’s great to have an audience to help inspire participants, who are usually somewhat new to public engagement. Moving a science communication event for new communicators online to a live stream would be tricky, because performing to an online crowd is a whole other ball game. The solution for the event organisers? Bring in performers who had won science slams in prior years.
Back in 2013, I was fortunate enough to participate in the first UoG Science Slam. At the time I was a brand-new PhD student, researching various methods of measuring blood oxygen levels. I had been working on this area for around 8 months and my PhD was yet to take proper shape. I was very nervous, but I put a lot of effort into it, and I asked a friend (Greig Stewart, A.K.A. Theremin Hero) to bring along a laser harp, which shot beams of light from the floor to the ceiling of the former church! This gratuitous prop was used to demonstrate the photoacoustic method of measuring blood oxygen, which I ended up not using during my PhD (go figure). It was so much fun and we won a giant novelty cheque and everything!
Embracing stereotypes and duck pics at the 2013 UoG Science Slam
My first attempt at figuring out a backdrop: a bit too plain!
For the 2020 Science Slam Alumni event, not only did we have to move our performance online, but we were briefed to make the presentations short (~5 minutes), whilst also covering our careers since our prior Science Slam events. No mean feat, because for me that spans 7 years, three institutions, 6 research contracts, and a plethora of projects!
Set up for a better backdrop in another room.
Fortunately, we had excellent coaching from Dr Jamie Gallagher (https://www.jamiebgall.co.uk/) freelance science communicator extraordinaire! The content was down to us, but Jamie gave us loads of tips for performing online. In particular, he helped us get the best video and audio out of whatever devices we had at home. Who knew you could use a smartphone as a good quality remote virtual webcam streaming via a laptop over skype and then to YouTube? Not me!
When doing a livestream on YouTube it’s important to have a good backdrop. I thought that the plain background of my bedroom wall might be good, but honestly, despite my best efforts, it made me look like I was in a hostage crisis video. So instead, I moved through to my living room, perched on the edge of my sofa, and put some fairy lights onto my bookcase backdrop. I think that worked rather nicely,
It’s just food colouring in water, don’t worry! :)
The set up that it required on the other hand… well that was slightly ridiculous!
I ended up having to prop two tables up onto a sofa. I also had to cello tape a Bluetooth speaker to my phone to keep it in position! It was all very Blue Peter meets Scrapheap Challenge!
I also like having a good prop or two for science do like a good prop or two onstage. But what to use for an online talk? Well I settled of a fake blood bag (water + food colouring), a bicycle lamp, and some old-style 3D glasses to demonstrate multispectral imaging of blood. I am particularly pleased with using colour filters for the webcam! Simple, yet effective at getting the point across.
The live stream itself was fun. I was quite nervous, but it was a thrill and I was well-rehearsed. However, it turns out that skype comments in the background about tech issues (someone was making things echo) are just *slightly* distracting, but I think I coped with it well. I really enjoyed following along with the audience comments and watching the other excellent presenters on my smart TV!
Overall, it was a great experience. I’m glad I did it and I would be up for more youtube live streams in the future. I think it really goes to show that whilst live events are magic, there really are a lot of reasons to go online. Hope to see both in-person and virtual Science Slams in 2021 and beyond.
Thanks to everyone who organised it (big shout out to Jamie Gallagher and Heather Lambie), to the other performers, to the wonderful host, Sian Bevan, and everyone who tuned in live (around 300 people).
Livestream link: https://youtu.be/Tico6RVH7a0?t=333
Signing off with the cheesy line: “seeing red isn’t always a bad thing” through a red colour filter!
