Sophie, our Communications and Office Assistant, went along to this year’s Summer Science Exhibition, hosted by The Royal Society. Here’s her lowdown on the event from the ground.
From 2nd to 7th July, The Royal Society opened its doors for their annual Summer Science Exhibition. Hosting researchers from across the UK, the flagship event saw fourteen main exhibits take over the prestigious building in central London. Visitors could experience hands-on demos on a wide variety of topics across scientific disciplines - from detecting neutrinos, to the nanoengineering of materials atom-by-atom, to the evolutionary connection between solving puzzles and the development of language.
Professor Stephen Wilkins and Dr Will Roper, University of Sussex, explain the recent science and discoveries of the James Webb Space Telescope.
Alongside these primary exhibits were a carousel of talks from speakers, including space scientist and communicator Maggie Aderin-Pocock and TikTok sensation Big Manny. The Exhibition also provided a chance for visitors to see the new portrait of Sir David Attenborough, commissioned to celebrate 40 years of his Fellowship. Painted by Jonathan Yeo, the same artist who created the recent striking portrait of King Charles III, Sir David now sits pride of place in The Royal Society’s atrium, captured in gentle greens.
I arrived there on the morning of the 2nd for the press event in my capacity as a freelance content creator, and condensed my experience into a short vlog, which you can watch on Instagram here. It was my first Summer Science Exhibition, and in all honesty, I was a little overwhelmed by how many people’s brains I wanted to pick, and things I wanted to learn. I was like a kid in a sweet shop (or a science enthusiast in a room full of great communicators and innovative activities, I suppose).
One morning wasn’t enough to see everything, so I stuck around for the Lates event that evening. As soon as the doors were open to the public, the atmosphere was absolutely buzzing. It was such a joy to see the researchers come into their own, although I do wonder if anyone would have been quite so fresh faced by the end of the six-day marathon. Either way, a huge congratulations to everyone who poured their passion and energy into the event.
I wasn’t the only member of ASDC to pop along - our CEO Shaaron Leverment and I just missed each other, as she attended the Summer Soiree. Pictured below is Shaaron and Hannah Russell, Chief Executive at the British Science Association (BSA) with Luke Jerram’s recent artwork Mirror Moon.
To learn more about the exhibitors and see recordings of the talks, head to The Royal Society’s website. I look forward to visiting again next year!