Guest blogger Dr Bradley Elliot from the School of Life Sciences takes us inside Westminster’s first ever Pint of Science Event.
“One pint of bitters, and a side of knowledge please.”
Imagine a group of scientists giving lectures on their hyper-specialized areas of research, maybe cardiovascular physiology of Greenland Sharks, macro-nutritional deficiencies and athletic performance, or even radiation absorption of differing rock types. You might picture stuffy lecture theatres of somnolent students arrayed in tiered rows before some ageing professor monotonously droning on while clicking through seemly endless slides.
What if we could do it differently? Well, on the evenings of the 13th – 15th May 2024, the University of Westminster played host to Pint of Science talks for the first time in this institution’s history.
Running since 2012, Pint of Science aims to deliver engaging talks, workshops and experiences in the more informal venue of pub and bars, as researchers passionately pitch their research to interested (or soon to be interested) members of the public. Over three nights, a team of academics and PhD researchers from the School of Life Sciences coordinated and delivered events in The Ship Pub, taking over an upstairs function room and bringing the science and the enthusiasm to sell out audiences.
Life on Mars
Night one was entitled “Life on Mars” and had Sinead Roberts with a Matt Damion / The Martian inspired discussion of ‘Can you live on Potatoes Alone?’ (Spoiler. Yes for a while, but it will be unpleasant. And then no, because you’ll die of micronutrient deficiencies), Cathy Moore on ‘Growing Drugs on Mars’ and how you could make your own pharmaceuticals by genetically engineering plants, and then Lewis Dartnell on how to find Life on Mars and his research on trying to find bacteria or other forms of life clinging to some sub-terranean rock on the surface of Mars.
The Longevity Pub quiz
Night two was ‘The Longevity Pub quiz’ and had host Bradley Elliott ablely assisted by PhD researcher Noemi Cherestes. Over the course of a few hours, mortality themed pub quiz questions were asked and longevity myths were dispelled. The ‘songs about living longer’ round was a highlight and involved Danial Brayson and his acoustic guitar gamely learning and playing several longevity-themed songs while pub quiz teams attempted to guess them. You’ve not lived until you heard someone learn to play Bob Dylan’s Forever Young.
Fish are Friends, not (just) Food
Night three was ‘Fish are Friends not (just) Food’ and had PhD researcher Stefania D’Alessio on fish skin for human wound healing (yes, really!), and then Danial Brayson talking about his intrepid research in the Greenland Sea studying the Greenland Shark’s heart and why they live for ~300 – 600 years (we’re not sure exactly how long, no one has ever really sat around and counted!)
Overall, our first go at hosting Pint of Science was a roaring success. We had sellout crowds every night, incredibly engaging speakers, and an always enthusiastic audience. A huge thanks to The Ship Pub, who donated the space we used for free, the British Society for Research on Ageing who supported the Longevity Pub Quiz event, and to Pint of Science for supporting it all. We’re already planning for Pint of Science 2025!
About Westminster
As one of the most diverse universities in the UK, we are a global university with London energy, with more than 19,000 students from 169 countries. To find out more about our courses, visit the University of Westminster website.
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