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“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.” - Stephen Hawking
“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.” - Stephen Hawking
Highlights
Highlights
ESO Science Communication intern: From March - September 2018 I completed a science communication internship at ESO. I worked on the preparation of ESO and ESA/Hubble news and press releases, publications, video scripts and other public communication products. This was a great experience for me and something which I can highly recommend to others interested in science/astronomy outreach work.
ESO Supernova: During my science communication and research internships I volunteered at ESO’s Planetarium and Visitor centre (The ESO Supernova) to provide tours for the visitors and to help in the general running of the centre. I also volunteered at several events and workshops including a lunar eclipse evening and a workshop on multi-wavelength astronomy.
Manchester (2018) and Bradford (2019) Science Festivals: As part of the European Southern Observatory's Science Ambassadors programme I helped to organise and run events at two science festivals in the UK. These involved demonstrations and engaging with the public to highlight the work being done by ESO, in particular, work being done on the Extremely Large Telescope.
Astrophysics Research Institute (ARI) Outreach Committee: I was a member of the Outreach Committee at the ARI where I helped to organise/run outreach events within the ARI alongside the National Schools Observatory. As part of this I have helped in organising and running a Christmas Lecture and multiple Zoom events, including a work experience week at the ARI.
Science communication is something which I believe is really important. Perhaps now more than ever, as we tackle the issue of climate change, understanding basic concepts in science and making informed decisions based on that knowledge is vital. As scientists it is our duty to educate and inform the public to the best of our ability and we should also make sure that science is an inclusive environment for everyone to enjoy. Exciting the public and inspiring them to take an interest in science, particularly the younger generations, is not only important for individuals but for our society as a whole.
Science communication and public outreach work has quickly become one of my favourite things to do. Seeing someone get excited when you talk to them about science (in my case mainly astronomy) is such a great feeling. I have met a lot of amazing people through outreach and also learnt a lot — it's often the simple questions that make you think the most! It has also improved my confidence in public speaking and I hope to participate in a lot more outreach events in the future!
Bradford Science Festival 2019. Credit: National Science and Media Museum
Celebrations before the opening of the ESO Supernova. Credit: ESO/P. Horálek
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