Pint of Science event at Barley Mow Pub in Southsea

People in Portsmouth are being given the chance to chat to scientists and researchers over a pint at the pub as part of worldwide festival

2 May 2023

6

School of Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Portsmouth will once again play host to Pint of Science, a worldwide festival that aims to bring the general public and scientific community together.

12 researchers from the University of Portsmouth will take to the stage at two pubs in the city as part of the world’s largest celebration of public science talks.

127 watering holes from 27 countries will host the event simultaneously in May, with 400 events planned.

The three-day annual festival will take place at The Southsea Village (May 22 and 23), and the Barley Mow (May 22 and 24) and provide a unique line up of talks and demonstrations.

 

Pint of Science event

Guest speakers come from the University of Portsmouth, University of Winchester, University of Westminster and Airbus Defence and Space. They will cover a wide range of topics including the world of chemsex, harpooning space debris, Brazilian prisons and firing lasers at fossils.

Dr Anthony Butcher, Programme Lead (Geosciences) at the University of Portsmouth and Pint of Science co-organiser, said: “The festival is a great opportunity for local scientific organisations to share their latest research with the people of the city. 

“In particular, at the University we deliver a lot of outreach and engagement activities to schools and colleges, but there are very few events where we share our research with the wider public. Pint of Science is a relaxed and informal platform for us to do just that, and the audiences are always really interested, ask great questions, and have provided us with really good feedback over the years.”

Following each talk there will also be an opportunity for the guests to ask questions about the research and participate in activities such as quizzes.

Pint of Science is a fantastic opportunity for the School to share the fascinating and important research that we carry out.

Dr Luke Hauser, University of Portsmouth’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Dr Luke Hauser, from the University of Portsmouth’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, added: "Pint of Science is a fantastic opportunity for the School to share the fascinating and important research that we carry out, particularly its impact on keeping both our local community safe but also our society as a whole. It also gives our postgraduate students a fantastic opportunity to help organise an exciting event for our community.”

Pint of Science is a non-profit organisation organised by a grass-root community of thousands of volunteers from science, research and academia.

The mission is to provide a space for researchers and members of the public alike to come together, be curious, and chat about research in a relaxed environment outside of laboratories or lecture theatres. 

Festival co-founder Dr Praveen Paul said: “It’s hard to believe that a small one-off project between a few friends has turned into thousands of events over ten years! Pint of Science would not be possible without our enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers across the country who work so hard to show you the inspiring research happening on our doorsteps.

“The programme in each city is packed full of events, which will inspire, challenge and encourage us all to be curious. The only difficulty is choosing which of the brilliant events to go to!”

Tickets for the Pint of Science events are only £5 and can be purchased here.

Talks include:

Southsea Village (22 May): Nights Out – Fun, Fear and Prison

  • Sex, Drugs & Horny Health by Veronika Carruthers (PhD Student and Teaching Fellow in Criminology and Criminal Justice - University of Portsmouth)
  • Missing on a Night Out by Geoff Newiss (Research Associate in theSchool of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Portsmouth and Director of the UK charity 'Action Against Abduction'.)

  • 'From Landings to Lecture Theatres' - Autoethnography of Being an Ex-Prison Officer by Dr Sarah Nixon (Criminology Lecturer - University of Winchester)

Southsea Village (23 May): Catching Criminals - Archaeology, Virtual Reality, and Brazilian Prisons

  • Actions Speak Louder than Words: Using Virtual Reality to Understand Burglary by Dr Amy Meenaghan (Lecturer in the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies, University of Portsmouth)

  • Unearthing Criminal Secrets - Forensic Archaeology in Criminal Investigations by Zoe Cadwell (Senior Lecturer in Forensic Studies in the School of Criminology & Criminal Justice, University of Portsmouth)

  • The Surprising World of Prisons in Brazil by Dr Sacha Darke (Reader in Criminology - School of Social Sciences, University of Westminster)

Barley Mow (22 May): Satellites - History, Harpoons, and Military Communications

  • A Satellite Harpoon: Space Debris Removal by Alexander Hall (Protect and Defend Lead (Future Programmes) - Airbus Defence and Space)

  • The Past, Present and Future of Satellite Communications by Dr Taj Sturman (Radio Systems Engineer - Airbus Defence and Space)

  • Military Satellite Communication Management by Dr Madeleine Hopwood (SatCom Management Product Manager - Airbus Defence and Space)

Barley Mow (24 May): Waves, Lasers, Fossils and Soils - Insights Into Earth's Past and Future

  • Surviving the waves: The odds of an arthropod becoming a fossil by Laura Devine (PhD Student - School of the Environment, Geography, and Geosciences, University of Portsmouth)

  • Talking dirt: soils and the carbon cycle by Dr Paul Farres (Academic (Retired) - School of the Environment, Geography, and Geosciences, University of Portsmouth)

  • 'Fire the Laser!' (at the fossils) by Dr Tony Butcher (Course Lead for Palaeontology - School of the Environment, Geography, and Geosciences, University of Portsmouth)