Work Life - Science Republic

Our Poster for Science Republic. As you can see the theme was:
Am I Really Badly Behaved?

Last night, my boyfriend and I went to an event at the University of Wolverhampton known as Science Republic. Science Republic is basically a giant science communication show which takes place within a bar - this time, the location was in the University's Arena theatre. During the show, academic and professionals in their fields must talk about a topic of science to a group of adults who normally know nothing about it. It's just a bit of fun with like-minded people. Every year, there are different academics who have a small 20-minute session which I think makes the event more engaging. You are wanting to know what is installed for you - who is there and what they have done/are doing.
I've been going to Science Republic ever since I started my first year of university and really enjoy going. It's fun to learn science after a bottle of cider with a load of enthusiastic people. Additionally, it's also enjoyable to hear some of the lecturers get heckled by one of the public. This year, it was my first time going as a staff member. While my boyfriend is still in education, I wasn't. Though my feelings to the event haven't changed. Yet, I did spend most of the time last week trying to get some of my old friends to go.

This time, the academics who were at the event were Simon Maddock, Stefano Keburu and Mitesh Patel. All three of these academics had interesting topics which they were talking about. Stefano Keburu spoke about how interactions that parents have with young humans, not to mention other primates, can affect the way that we behave in later life. Additionally, positive parent interaction can also make us live longer.

This guy is a caecilian
(Photo Credit: Science News for Students)

Simon Maddock was another of the academics who spoke to us. As well as being an academic at the University of Wolverhampton, Simon is also a researcher. He spends most of his time researching in exotic places such as Indonesia, Papa New Guinea and Seychelles Islands - What a lucky guy! At Science Republic, Simon chose to talk around the theme of the night which was; Am I Really Badly Behaved...? He was discussing whether it was right or wrong to kill endangered animals in order to study them. In particularly, Simon discussed his research at the Seychelles where he observed a type of amphibian known as a caecilian.

A caecilian (Photo left) is a limbless amphibian who lives hidden underneath the soil underwater. Due to their hidden lives, they are one of the most unknown species of amphibians. Caecilians are located within the topics - so South and Central America, African along with Southern Asia.

As well as his work on caecilians, Simon also showed us some of the resources that we have at the University. There were very interesting small immortalised versions of butterflies, hornets and beetles - all which I have managed to gather photos of for you to sea. Along with them, Simon had a jar containing a young octopus! All of the immortalised animals were very well received by the spectators who were equally impressed and slightly captivated.

The Butterflies!

The Stag Bettle 

The Hornets.

The one in the middle is the queen hornet.

Science republic was a really good night. It was fun to relax after work, enjoying the things I enjoy which is science. If you are around Wolverhampton, the next one will be around May time.