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SCIENCE

OLIVER FISHER DEPUTY: POSITION VACANT

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IMPRACTICAL CHEMISTS INTERVIEW

BY OLIVER FISHER

EVER WANTED TO know more about science but felt that it’s too complicated for you?

Well, York has their very own team of student chemists who run an Instagram page called Impractical Chemists, which breaks down science into bitesize pieces that anyone can understand. Whether it’s what artificial sweeteners are made from or an overview of quantum mechanics, Impractical Chemists have the answer.

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview the people behind the account and this is what they revealed.

Who are you guys?

“We are Maxine, Ritchie and Olly, a trio of Year 3 chemists on the BSc course at the University of York.”

What inspired you to start the account?

“We felt that chemistry had a bad rep regarding how exciting the subject matter is and after seeing how this was linked to a decline in chemistry university admissions we wanted to see if we could use social media to enthuse potential students still at school, as well as the wider public.”

What do you hope to achieve through the account?

“Hopefully it causes people to see the chemistry behind their everyday actions and items, and perhaps we can spark some wonder (or at least interest). On a grander scale, if it can go some way towards breaking down the image of chemistry as a dry and dull subject, and instead demonstrate the richness and breadth of the subject then it’ll have been a success.”

What can we expect in the coming year?

“Now that we’ve got a good amount of content under our belt we’re moving on to a wider range of content, and varying the way in which we deliver that content. We are really trying to challenge ourselves over the coming months with what we can put out and you’ll see this in a shift away from ‘static’ posts and an increasing number of video demos, animations, and things in that vein. We’re hoping that all of this will translate into the account growing and expanding its reach.”

What have you learned from running the account?

“Content creation takes a lot longer than you think! You’ll often find that you have more ideas than

Their branding makes it very clear that they’re chemists in York. No prizes here.

you do time but ultimately the end result is very rewarding. Additionally, we’ve realised quite how visual the platform is; the aesthetics of a post can be just as, if not more, important than the actual ‘meat’ of it.”

Has running this account influenced what you want to do in the future?

“It’s definitely made us consider working on social media and content creation projects in the future, even just as personal passion projects to develop our skills in the area. The filming and editing aspects of the project are something we’re very keen to progress further.”

Here at York Vision we recommend you take a look.

BY LIAM BARRETT

A TEAM OF York PhD students have joined forces with researchers from York St John University to organise this year’s “Pint of Science” event – bringing cutting-edge research to a boozer near you.

We spoke to event coordinator Conor Scott to learn more about Pint of Science, and what he hopes the event will bring to the city and its scientific community.

At first glance, Stella and science seem to be strange bedfellows, however Pint of Science shows have been bringing the two together since 2013 – offering members of the public the opportunity to discuss scientific research with leading academics, in a relaxed environment, away from sci-fi laboratories and intimidating lecture halls.

This is something Conor thinks is vitally important in engaging the general public in science: “Whenever anyone is learning about something new it can be quite intimidating, and I feel scientists often do a bad job of explaining things in an accessible way. Our aim is to create an experience where people feel like they are just sitting in a pub or café as they normally would, and are part of a conversation about science, instead of being lectured”.

Although almost everyone living in York is aware of the

ANYONE FANCY A PINT... OF SCIENCE?

universities, they tend to be better acquainted with the student population than with the universities’ research communities: “I think it’s a shame that most people living in York have little to no idea of what research is being carried out just down the road,” says Conor. After all, this research is largely financed by public funds, something he believes is too-frequently forgotten by researchers: “At the end of the day, taxpayer’s money funds our work and they have a right to know what their money is being spent on and to know it isn’t being wasted.”

“Scientists are usually so focused on such a specific part of the field they work in that it is easy to lose sight of the bigger picture,” explains Conor, who gave a talk at the event in 2020 and hosted a show last year.

“Pint of Science isn’t just for the public, it is also a platform for researchers to communicate their science in a way that non-scientific members of the public will understand.”

Engaging the public in their research is something many scientists often neglect, perpetuating the belief that the scientific community is insular and elitist – a belief Conor is keen to contest with this event, saying although communicating with the public “can actually be quite challenging, I think it is a skill all researchers should work on, because it reminds us of why we do the work we do” and can help “get the public excited about local science”.

Shows are taking place across the city from 9-11 May, in a broad range of venues such as SPARK, The Fulford Arms, and York Picturehouse – an aspect of Pint of Science Conor is also passionate about. “Pint of Science is a unique event because it utilises the great array of venues we have in York to bring the amazing research being done in the city directly to the public, in a familiar setting. I am hopeful that as well as highlighting interesting scientific work taking place in the city, we will also be shining a spotlight on the venues themselves.”

Although the prospect of sinking a few jars whilst discussing climate change, or the future of stem cell treatments, with a university professor sounds trivial, its core sentiment is actually rather significant. In a society riddled with misinformation, fake news, and the distrust of experts, events, such as Pint of Science, that bring people closer to research, provide a real opportunity to tackle these issues, restore the public’s faith in sound evidence, and help them appreciate the value of scientific research.