Pint of Science
Global Pint of Science festival, held annually over three days in May, is a celebration of science and the impacts of its developments. The festival allows academics and researchers from universities across the world to engage with new audiences and share interesting and topical bites of science, or exciting active research they may be working on, in an informal, relaxed atmosphere – traditionally a pub!
The University of Greenwich’s Faculty of Engineering and Science, which has worked with Pint of Science and different venues in Kent and London to deliver talks from its community of academics and researchers since 2021, held their largest number of events yet, with seven on offer in Kent and two in London. Pint of Science talks are open to anyone wanting to learn something new and enjoy an evening of knowledge, entertaining science anecdotes, insightful Q&A – and even quizzing, as attendees are invited to compete against other Pint of Science attendees nationally in a fun online quiz during the event interval. The events were well-attended, with positive feedback received from attendees, and the faculty are proud to have been able to offer so many opportunities for local communities to learn something new.
Kent
Well-established pub The Command House, located close to the University’s Medway Campus, has hosted many of its Pint of Science events over the years, and the faculty are grateful for this ongoing partnership to celebrate science in Medway. This year’s talk was delivered by Saak Ovsepian, Professor in Biosciences, and was a fascinating look at systems engineering and the power of the brain. The talk offered insights into human nature and how looking at how the brain works could inspire the creation of new complex computing systems.
Talks were also held in the Historic Rochester’s pubs Man of Kent and 12Degrees. For 'The Real Story: Alcohol and Herbal Remedies.' In the joint talk at the Man of Kent, Lecturer Dr Media Zanganeh shared her research into how tiny building blocks in our body can reveal the hidden impact of alcohol exposure during pregnancy, before Sukvinder Bhamra, Senior Lecturer, shed some light on the world of herbal medicines. At micropub 12Degrees, attendees were treated to talks from three scientists. Dr Simon Scott, Senior Lecturer, and Prof Nigel Temperton of the Medway School of Pharmacy delivered 'Good bat, bad bat', sharing their research on the role of bats in emerging diseases. Murtala Dahiru, Research Student, then spoke about his area of research: Hydrogels, and how they can control drug release.
The unique Kent venues of a brewery and a distillery also played host to Pint of Science talks from Faculty academics. At the Iron Pier Brewery, Gravesend, whilst Catherine Tonry, Senior Lecturer in Computational Science and Engineering, discussed how bubbles form in your beer, and how they affect the taste – and how bubbles can be used to make metals stronger. Meanwhile, at the Copper Rivet Distillery in Chatham, Dr Simon Richardson, Reader of Drug Delivery and Membrane Trafficking, shared ground breaking research that transforms a notorious biological weapon into a beacon of hope, before Abhishek Banik, Distillery Manager at the Copper Rivett, explained how brewing parameters like grain selection, yeast, and mashing techniques affect the flavour of beer and whisky. Both talks included a drink-tasting element, courtesy of the venues. This was the second time the Copper Rivet has partnered with the University for a Pint of Science event and for this event, as a thoughtful touch, welcomed a pizza van to cater to attendees.
Finally, at the University of Greenwich’s own student bar The Deep End, based on the Medway Campus, the talk ‘Strategy for Healthy Ageing: Improve Sleep and Manage Pain’ from Medway School of Pharmacy students Lorna Brown and Makurata Zanika talked attendees through how to hack their body clocks and promote healthy ageing, and illuminated the subject of joint pain and how it is caused and can be better managed.
London
In a sell-out event at the Cutty Sark Pub, Greenwich, Professor Stoyan Stoyanov, Reader in Computational Engineering, presented ‘How computers helped save the Cutty Sark’, taking attendees on an insightful journey through twenty years of history of the Cutty Sark and how simulation models have been used to test and de-risk big conservation interventions of the ship as part of a new museum display. The pub, which is named after the famous ship and is a short walk from it, was the perfect venue for this fascinating talk showcasing the real-world impact from the use of this technology.
Meanwhile, Enderby House in London hosted ‘Improving Safety in Emergency Situations’, presented by Professor Georgia Sakellari, Professor of Networked Systems, and Dr Asim Siddiqui, Research Fellow, who delivered talks on digital solutions for emergency response and fire safety, highlighting the projects they are currently involved with – RESCUER and openBIM respectively.
The Faculty of Engineering and Science would like to thank all guests for attending and hope they found their evenings out entertaining and insightful. The Faculty would also like to thank all speakers for dedicating their time to support Pint of Science and share their knowledge and work to new audiences.
For more events from the Faculty of Engineering and Science, keep an eye on this page, or follow the faculty on social media.
