Ten scientists are now through to the final of FameLab â?? UK scienceâ??s equivalent of Pop Idol, aiming to find the broadcast science presenters of tomorrow. To test their ability to make science come to life, the finalists have each produced a 99 second podcast on a subject chosen by visitors to Channel 4â??s FameLab website â?? www.channel4.com/famelab (Channel 4 being a key supporter of FameLab).
At a Media Masterclass in Cheltenham (6/7 May 2006) with Kathy Sykes, Professor of Public Engagement in Science and Engineering at Bristol University; Malcolm Love, Freelance radio producer, media trainer and lecturer in science communication; Steve Mesure, NESTA awardee and established science communicator; and Richard Wiseman, renowned Professor in Public Understanding of Psychology, the finalists were given one of three subjects to tackle: the weird and wonderful world of quantum mechanics, what makes octopuses different from other sea creatures apart from their â??legsâ??, and why water doesnâ??t burn even though it is made up of oxygen and hydrogen.
The podcasts are now available at www.channel4.com/famelab. Visitors to the site can listen to the recordings and vote for the best. Voting will close at noon on Friday 9 June with the result announced at the FameLab final the next day, Saturday 10 June, 17:00 at the Cheltenham Science Festival. The 99 second nuggets of science will also be broadcast on OneWord digital radio station in June.
Commenting on the podcasts, Timandra Harkness, FameLab Manager, said: â??What better way to perk up your day than to hear Quantum Mechanics explained in less than two minutes, or learn some amazing facts about the octopus to stun your friends in the pub? They have no bones, so they can fit through tiny spaces, and they have a doughnutâ??shaped brain and just one testicle. These scientists could well be the broadcast presenters of tomorrow, so get to the Channel 4 website and help put the ones you like most on the map.â??
Adam Gee, Commissioning Editor in Channel 4 New Media, said: â??With Channel 4 on the verge of entering the world of radio, this year we were keen to put the emphasis on the FameLab finalistsâ?? voice presenting skills. Radio broadcasting and podcasting are important outlets for Science presenters, and the 99 second challenge gives a good sense of their ability to make scientific concepts clear, concise and colourful.â??
FameLab is the brainchild of the Cheltenham Science Festival and NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) and supported by Pfizer, Channel 4, The Daily Telegraph, Research Councils UK and The British Council.
At five regional heats held during March and April, the ten finalists impressed a panel of expert judges including The Telegraphâ??s Science Editor, Roger Highfield; Helen Pilcher, the only Lithuanian, Elvis-obsessed science writer and comedian in the world; and Louisa Bolch, Channel 4â??s Commissioning Editor for Science, with their short and snappy three-minute presentations on everything from jelly to carnivorous plants.
The overall winner will be selected at a live event at the Cheltenham Science Festival and will walk away with £2,000, the opportunity to work with a TV producer and pitch their ideas to Channel 4, plus a tour of events.
The finalists (in alphabetical order):
· Sima Adhya, 29 a Space Mission Scientist in the Space Department of QinetiQ (Belfast heat) from London
· Davina Bristow, 26 a PhD student at University College, London researching Cognitive Neuroscience (London heat) from London
· Karl Byrne, Belfast, 26 a final year PhD student at Queenâ??s University, Belfast researching novel drug treatments for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Belfast heat) from Belfast
· Sarah Louise Curtis, 22 a final year MSc Chemistry student at Leeds University (Newcastle heat) from Loughborough
· Sarah Forbes-Robertson, 35 a post-doctorate researcher at the School of Medicine in Swansea researching breast and thyroid cancer and the effects of radiation. (Swansea heat) from Swansea
David Loong, 29 a post-doctorate research associate at Imperial College, London working on new ways of making molecules with unusual optical properties. (London heat) from London
· Stewart McPherson, 22 an undergraduate in Geography at Durham University (Edinburgh heat) originally from Poole, Dorset
· Steve Robertson, 27 a PhD student at University of Newcastle researching the effect of fungi on wood (Newcastle heat) from Sunderland
· Lindsay Stenhouse, 25 a PhD student in molecular parasitology at Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow Veterinary School (Edinburgh heat) from Edinburgh
· Jonathan Wood, 30 Deputy Editor of science journal Materials Today (London heat) from Oxford
Tickets for the FameLab final (Saturday 10 June 17:00) are available from the Cheltenham Science Festival Box Office 01242 227979 or on-line at Cheltenham Festivals
For further information, images and interviews please contact:
Sallie Robins, srPR
020 7249 4858 / 07733 330344 / sr@srpr.net
Rebecca Ladbury, Channel 4
020 7306 5547 / 07941 224 975 / rladbury@channel4.com
Notes for Editors:
FameLab is a registered trademark of Cheltenham Festivals Limited, charity no 251765
The regional auditions were held as follows:
· Saturday 11 March 2006 Life Science Centre, Newcastle
· Sunday 19 March 2006, National Waterfront Museum, Swansea
· Sunday 26 March 2006, Our Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh
· Saturday 1 April 2006, Dana Centre, London
· Saturday 22 April 2006, W5, Belfast
The final will be held at the Cheltenham Science Festival, Cheltenham on Saturday 10 June 2006 17:00. The finalists will have 5 minutes each to impress a panel of four judges: Kathy Sykes, one of the Directors of the Cheltenham Science Festival and Professor of Public Engagement in Science; Roger Highfield, Science Editor of FameLabâ??s media partners the Daily Telegraph; neuroscientist and broadcaster Dr. Mark Lythgoe, and Louisa Bolch of Channel 4. Science broadcaster Quentin Cooper will host the event.
NESTA
NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, is working to increase the UKâ??s capacity for innovation. We invest in all stages of the innovation process, backing new ideas and funding new ventures that stimulate entrepreneurship. For more information visit www.nesta.org.uk
Pfizer
For over 150 years we have been producing medicines that make a difference to patientâ??s lives, to their families and to society. We rely on the creativity and innovation of the some 6,500 people we employ in the UK to convert basic science into novel and useful medicines. We support FameLab because communication is at the heart of scientific progress; particularly communication between scientist and non-scientist. FameLab seeks out, trains and rewards new science communicators and recognises the importance of engaging a wider public in science and its application.
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is Britain's best-selling quality daily newspaper. Every Tuesday our dedicated science page brings you the latest discoveries and phenomena from the world of science. As well as our main feature, on anything from cosmology to marine biology, mathematics or psychology, there is also Professor Steve Jones's weekly "View from the Lab" where he explains complex scientific ideas in an entertaining and accessible style.
All of our science coverage can also be found on www.connected.telegraph.co.uk and FameLab coverage is on www.telegraph.co.uk/famelab.
Channel 4
Channel 4 is continuously seeking ways to engage new audiences with its innovative science programming, presented by extraordinary people. Highlights include Autopsy, Anatomy for Beginners, What We Still Don't Know, and Alien Worlds. â??We are always seeking programmes that can break new ground in form or content,â?? says Louisa Bolch, Commissioning Editor for Science at Channel 4, â??especially shows that are character driven so we are on the look out for people with real passion, presence and expert knowledge, who can make us open our eyes and see the world in a new way.â?? The range of innovative output from Channel 4 Science can be seen at www.channel4.com/science
Research Councils UK
Research Councils UK (RCUK) is a strategic partnership through which the UK's eight Research Councils work together to champion the research, training and innovation they support. The Research Councils are the main public investors in fundamental research in the UK with interests ranging from arts and humanities, bio-medicine and particle physics to the environment, engineering and economic research. Individually and collectively, the Research Councils support and promote a free flow of authoritative information and exchange of views between scientists, members of the public and policy-makers in the field of science.
The British Council
The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations, operating independently from the UK Government. The British Council's science programme supports scientific collaboration through the exchange of ideas and knowledge, and by building relationships between young scientists around the world. Through its science and society projects, it stimulates debate about the impacts of science on people's lives and awareness and appreciation of the UK with wider international audiences.
OneWord
Oneword is the world's first radio station to feature the best in books, drama, comedy & discussion. Oneword can be heard from 6am to midnight everyday on DAB digital radio, and 24 hours a day on Sky, Freeview, ntl cable and www.oneword.co.uk . Oneword is owned in almost equal share by UBC Media and Channel 4.
© Cheltenham Festivals 2006/7