Nicholas Harrigan, 25, a postgraduate student in Quantum Optics at Imperial College, London won NESTA FameLab - a national competition to discover the new voices of UK science and engineering, at the live final last night (Sat 9 June 2007). Nicholas, originally from Bromsgrove, Birmingham took to the stage at the Cheltenham Science Festival Final in full chef’s outfit to give a “sparky” performance on the science of microwaves. After wowing the audience by making a light bulb light up in a microwave oven he went on to enlighten them on how microwaves create heat in food. ‘It’s a bit like rubbing your hands together’, he explained. ‘The microwaves make the water molecules in things jig about and rub together and so they heat up.’
Nicholas got through to the final of NESTA FameLab at a London regional heat held in April this year. At other regional heats held throughout the UK the 6 other finalists were chosen. All had just 5 minutes in which to meet the judge’s requirements for “content, clarity and charisma”.
On announcing the winner Kathy Sykes, Co-Director of the Cheltenham Science Festival and NESTA Trustee said the judges thought Nicholas had been really brave in choosing to use props and demonstrations which can often go wrong. ‘Nicholas has huge potential and was prepared to take risks’, she said. Her fellow judges were Mark Lythgoe, Co-Director of the Cheltenham Science Festival, Roger Highfield, Science Editor of the Daily Telegraph and Louisa Bolch, Comissioning Editor for Science at Channel 4.
NESTA FameLab is the brainchild of the Cheltenham Science Festival and NESTA – the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts. On the thinking behind the initiative Jonathan Kestenbaum, CEO of NESTA, said: ‘To be able to convey scientific concepts in a way that engages a broad audience is an increasingly important skill. In addition to enhancing public understanding, we need to ensure we’re doing enough to inspire people into careers in this area if we are to meet rising demand for science and technology skills.’
Nicholas was also chosen as the audience’s favourite performer in a paper ballot taken at the event attended by more than 250 people. On accepting his prizes Nicholas was at first speechless, saying, ‘It feels lovely, thank-you’. After regaining his composure he went on to say that he thought NESTA FameLab was a brilliant and needed idea. ‘I like sharing things that make me go “wow that’s so cool”,’ he explained. ‘There are so many everyday things that you can find in the house that are awesome’.
Nicholas walked away with a prize of £2000, a tour of international events and a 2-week internship with Channel 4, a key NESTA FameLab sponsor.
Runners up in the competition were Jan Schnupp, 41, a researcher in neurobiology in the Department of Physiology, University of Oxford who the judges thought did a “really funny” piece on pleasure centres in the brain, and Marieke Navin, 28 a Physics PhD student at Sheffield University who gave a “smashing” presentation on atoms and the Large Hadron Collider.
Marieke also won a separate prize for a podcast that had been up on sponsor Channel 4’s web site (www.channel4.co.uk/famelab). Visitors to the site were invited to listen to podcasts and vodcasts (videos) of all the NESTA FameLab finalists and reserves and to vote for their favourite. The winner of the vodcast vote was Ed Sykes one of the NESTA FameLab reserves.
'A new way of presenting TV science is emerging, with an emphasis on
Scientists as human beings, more than authoritative experts’, said Kathy Sykes, Co-Director of the Cheltenham Science Festival and NESTA Trustee. ‘NESTA FameLab has been hugely successful over the past three years in identifying fabulous scientists - with personality and humanity - and developing and supporting them to become maybe the Attenboroughs of tomorrow.'
NESTA FameLab is supported by The Daily Telegraph, Research Councils UK, The British Council and Channel 4.
For further information and images contact:
Sallie Robins
Publicist NESTA FameLab
07733 330344
sr@srPR.net
Ian George
Press Officer
Cheltenham Science Festival
07866 437062
ian.george@cheltenhamfestivals.com
Vicky McGuire
Media Manager
NESTA
020 7438 2643
07958635913
press@nesta.org.uk
Notes To Editors:
NESTA FameLab -
NESTA FameLab entrants must be at least 21 years old and WORKING IN SCIENCE. This includes private and public sector employees, technicians and anyone working in the fields of science, technology, engineering or maths. Regional auditions were held as follows:
Tuesday 6 March, London, Dana Centre
Saturday 10 March, Cardiff, National Museum
Sunday 11 March, Plymouth, The National Marine Aquarium
Saturday 17 March, York, National Railway Museum
Saturday 24 March, Glasgow, Glasgow Science Centre
Saturday 31 March, Oxford, Science Oxford
Sunday 15 April, Belfast, Black Box
Final, Saturday 9 June, Cheltenham Science Festival. For full eligibility and competition details see www.famelab.org
Cheltenham Science Festival
Cheltenham Science Festival offers both a celebration and critical exploration of science. Using hallmarks of quality, accessibility, debate and enjoyment, the festival presents scientific issues in a challenging and exciting environment, using a range of innovative event formats. The festival seeks to respond to public interest in scientific issues and to create opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to become more informed and to participate in dialogue and debate. Since it started in 2002, the festival has gained the reputation for nurturing talent in science communication and offering new opportunities for people from different backgrounds to engage different audiences in science.
Cheltenham Science Festival 6-10 June 2007
www.cheltenhamfestivals.com
NESTA
1. NESTA is the National Endowment for Science, Technology & the Arts
2. NESTA is the largest endowment exclusively devoted to innovation in the UK. NESTA uses this unique funding to invest in early stage companies, inform innovation policy and encourage a culture of entrepreneurship. The aim is to transform the UK’s capacity for innovation.
3. NESTA Spokespeople are available for comment and interview please contact our press office on 020 7645 9583 or 07958 635913.
www.nesta.org.uk
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. RCUK are funding the training elements of NESTA FameLab.
www.rcuk.ac.uk
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.
www.telegraph.co.uk
Channel 4
Channel 4 has engaged a new audience with innovative science programming, presented by extraordinary people. Recent highlights include 'Death for Beginners ', presented by Gunther Von Hagens, and 'What Makes Us Human', presented by Armand Le Roi, while the brave new world of transgenics will shortly be explored by Olivia Judson and Giles Coren in 'The Farm', says Louisa Bolch, Science Editor at Channel 4. We are looking for people with real passion, people with charisma, presence and expert knowledge, who can make us open our eyes and see the world in a new way. We're looking forward to getting to grips with Britain's next generation of science communicators.
www.channel4.com
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.
www.britishcouncil.org
ENDS
© Cheltenham Festivals 2006/7