So what?

The week has given me that motivation and determination to share the exciting aspects of science and technologies to others but at the same time given me that energy to not to give up but do my best in my academic study. Science is the life of everything and the heart of our society. Without science, everything will fall apart without the basic understanding of how big or small things come together to make everything around us. Our experiences of life will be different.

The British Science Festival has opened up many ideas of what I want to accomplish and do/ seek opportunities to further my knowledge and skills. Meeting other like minded people, from students to professionals and leading scientists in the field has reminded me of why I study a science related degree course. It is incredible to meet others and for me to have the opportunity to speak with them has been a real pleasure.

I would like to thank my faculty, Faculty of Science and Technology and also The University of Westminster for this superb opportunity. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time and do not regret of taking that leap and applying a while back. :)

Day 4: I made it!

I thought I was going mad with signing up to nearly a dozen of sessions for today. :( But it was all because there are so many good and interesting sessions that I wanted to attend- is because it is the last day of the festival too... Anyway, I really enjoyed the day and perhaps has ended the week long festival on a high and tiring myself out.

 

"The secret to sporting success: talent, training or technology" session was chosen following on from my interest in the health area. Sport technologies were shown to illustrate its impact it has in the world of sport. Dr Bryce Dyer from Bournemouth University discussed whether or not the '10,000 hours rule' works with athletes in their training and whether or not success are from training or talent. Dr Dyer explained some of the controversies surrounding high tech sporting equipment and how future technologies can perhaps help generate more successes.

Dr Katherine Woolf from UCL delivered the Charles Darwin Award Lecture, "Games of clones: why should we care if our friends are similar to us?" Through an interactive session with the audience, Dr Woolf discussed if all of us are the same through homophily. Using cases studies and researches carried out with medical students, it was interesting to see the positive and negative effect of homophily within the population. One of the thing that amazed me were the feedbacks provided from students as well as their lecturers on the topic of homophily and its diversity.

Brains are always s special. Psychologist Professor Bruce Hood from the psychology section of the British Science Association gave a presidential talk on "Our shrinking brains: downsized by domesticity?" The development of our brains were explored to demonstrate its changes according to different factors. Behaviour of the brain was also explored to see they function in its domestication compared to social interactions. Consequences of ostracism and isolation on our physical and mental health also shown to have a contribution to our brain development.

No one likes failing. "The art of failing" was explored by Joseph Roche through different case studies and experiments. Interacting with the audience via the polling app, the lecture explored way how we can shake off the shackles and use the 'fear of failure' as a driver to succeed. It was weird but interesting as he revealed one experiment which failed miserably!!

At this point during the day, I think the cup of coffee I had during the morning have start to wear off...but on I go and into the next lecture...

"From molecules to medicine" gave some interesting facts for us to think about how quickly the world changes but yet, we are still lacking the effective medicines to treat diseases and illnesses. A panel from the pharmaceutical companies shared their views in the mission to develop the safe and effective drugs to discover the science underlying drug development. It was an eye opener to see how many steps are required from the moment drugs were developed in the labs to clinical trails and then selling it and providing them to patients.

Antibiotics are important to today's society. The session on "Living in a world without antibiotics" demonstrated that many diseases occurs and the impact of antibiotics are becoming obsolete. Dr Alan Roberts (University of London), Victoria Wells and Dr Lloyd Czapieski from FRSC explored how antibiotics can affect health and how scientists are working on initiatives to develop innovative solutions to help make a different. The campaign in which they are currently working on is antibiotic-action.com

To change the mood of today's session, the "Psychology of creativity" was chosen to help understand how whether or not everyone has a creative mind. Dr Val Lesk, Dr Lou Comerford Boyes, Jade Lorraine Kiou and Daisy Browness from the University of Bradford shared their experiences in using varies of concepts and tests to see how creative the audience was. Studying the brain on it creativity functions, it was interesting to find that certain professions had more creative minds than others!

The last talk attend was the "Presidential address: why education matters more than ever" by Professor Dame Athene Donald, the incoming president of the British Science Association. The president explored whether the fact that the English and Welsh education systems impose subject choices at an earlier stage than almost any other county has a broader impact. It was shown that is a culture divide between scientists and non-scientists and the effects it has on the graduates.













To round the event off, I went along to the CSI: Bradford event held at the National Media Museum. With the museum transforming its spaces into crime scenes including a morgue and opportunities to understand the concepts behind DNA and the smell of death. Opportunities including being a crime expert for the night to solve a murder, to understand how microscopes can be created using simple equipment such as a water bottle and being a code breaker.

 

 

Day 2- Something big happened

What a day...I was very much hoping that today would be another good day following on from yesterday's lectures. I still have that buzz when I woke up this morning. That coffee session was still floating in my mind.

Started the day off with "Why should we be mindful of mindful fullness" by psychologist Peter Naish helped set the scene and the day ahead. It was interesting how our brains are being affected my mindfulness. It seems that our genes is perhaps the best way to help determine the best treatments for each of us. Unfortunately, due to another lecture starting near the same time I had to leave this lecture a bit early to attend the next one.

It was a all very much all about psychology this morning. "Why Facebook won't get you anymore friends" by another psychologist, Robin Dunbar shown evidence as to why using social media such as Facebook and Twitter will not help you increase your network of friends. More like so for professional reasons, but research has shown that on average, people has only got 150 Facebook contacts that would be useful for them. As overtime and due to lifestyle factors, the number of friends will decrease and your contracts will soon become your acquaintances more your friends and family of needs.

Then something happened which was not expected. The fire alarm went off at the university and everyone from all buildings were evacuated off the premises. Taken two hours before anyone were allowed to be back on campus, one of the lecture which I wanted to go was missed and now rescheduled for tomorrow afternoon. This is unfortunate as I have already planned for tomorrow's timetable and will now have to choose which one to attend now that the lecture has been moved.

 

Decisions, decision!! :(

Following on from this morning's unexpected event, my afternoon began with a nutrition related lecture. "Exercising in later life: the view from the social sciences" reminded me of the recent research experience I worked on during the summer at Westminster (Stay Active This Summer), and still working on the final bit... Sociologist, Emmanuelle Tulle along with her collaborators spoke about how physical activity changes in the older population and how it is different in promoting activity to them compared to younger aged population. Her PhD student, Sarah Palmer also from Glasgow Caledonian University spoke about her PhD work and how using the grandparents as samples to help determine the amount of physical activities carried out over a period of time. Dr Sarah Bell from the University of Exeter also spoke about her PhD work. She too used a group of grandparents as participants to determine the amount of physical activity completed over a period of time. Social barriers were also discussed to illustrate the constrains experienced and how opportunities and potential solutions can be provided to help promote happiness and health.

 

Following on from that lecture, I had the opportunity to experience the University of Bradford Simulation Centre. Having the BodPod at the University of Westminster is impressive enough as there are only a reward in the country. But having a human simulator as well as a anatomage in the same room with plasma screens on the wall was all too much. It was a brilliant session and could not believe what I was experiencing. Of course the human simulator helps students to understand how human may have an effect when encountering drugs and invasive methods through the use of a computer software. The anatomage was like a very big human anatomy and physiology text book. But it was a very interactive screen. It allows you to see the body inside out of different human body systems, allows you to dissect body parts to see it in 3D. What's more but they also has an autopsy software where professionals work and liaise with the police department and the post mortem department to understand the cause of death through seeing scans of a person post death.

Attending the "Digital Health" session was an eye opener for me to see the latest digital technologies available in the world of science. It was interesting to hear from professionals about their latest discoveries and how it has an effect in the digital health environment. From digital diagnosis to wearable devices, issues were discussed to seek solutions providing opportunities to widen participation and removing barriers.

To end the day, I finally attended the "Women and the trouble with science" chaired by Dallas Campbell, BBC presenter with a panel of female science professionals ranging from academics, researchers to those working in the workplace. Issues such as barriers of women to be involve in science to the brain biology; different aspects of why women are being underrepresented in the STEM field. To be fair, I think this topic will continue to be debated into the future as this can go one forever. But hearing views from different professionals whether they are male or female was an eye opener. During the debate, 'People like me' resource pack and app https://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/about-us/wise-projects/people-like-me was promoted to help engage girls into science.

To be fair, I think this debate has motivated and spurred me on to do my best in my degree...

Decorating my iPad

Receiving an iPad was like a early Christmas present to me. It has so far been good having it with me on this week's trip. Was given a few stickers from the festival. Since all students will have the same colour and type of iPad, it will be hard to distinguish whose who. As we are allowed to put stickers on, why not put these science related onto the cover? Shame there is no stickers for nutrition related topics...

Receiving that "Congratulations" email :)

My story of this opportunity first started when I saw a post on my Blackboard site. In the past, I have seen the British Science Festival (BSF) being promoted as it has been held annually. But I have never attended one. The more I researched about this week long festival, that more I was captured and taken an interested into the sessions available. I have heard from others that the festival has always been a good opportunity for students to expand their knowledge in the world of science.

As a result, I took up the challenge and applied for the opportunity. Personal statement was submitted and then there was the wait...

I was not expecting to receive it but to my surprise, receiving an email with "Congratulations" made that day. And since then, my excitement to attend the festival in September just kept on building up!