Dr Ling Ge judges Science Communication Fair

Dr Ling Ge, a Research Associate in the Department of Chemistry was recently invited to act as the judge of the Science Communication Fair held at Francis Holland School, Baker Street, London

Dr Ling Ge, a Research Associate in the Department of Chemistry was recently invited to act as the judge of the Science Communication Fair held at Francis Holland School, Baker Street, London. In the grand final, eight pairs of girls outlined a scientific concept, using a variety of creative presentational techniques including table-top display, experimental demonstrations, self-drawn comics and graphs, posters and PowerPoint presentations. There was even a hand-made 3D presentation of the Solar System made of clay. Examples of the range of topics covered included:

• Why do women cry more than men?
• Why are planets spherical?
• How do glow sticks glow?
• How does alcohol affect the body?

Ling visited each table and focused on the specific methods of communication and asked them to elaborate their ideas on a one-to-one basis, followed by PowerPoint presentations in front of an audience of 150 people. At the end of the Fair, Ling had an extremely difficult decision making process as all the talks were outstanding, and she gave constructive feedback to each group. After careful consideration the best scientific communication prize of the evening was awarded to Sabina and Olivia for their presentation, entitled: "Why do bees die after stinging us?"

The young finalists were really excited to have a 'real-life scientist' from Imperial College London judge their work. They start their G.C.S.E. science next year and for them to meet a working scientist has really boosted their enthusiasm and ambition to learn.

Ling has encouraged them to apply for a place at the Department of Chemistry at Imperial, giving them tips about admission interviews and she also talked to the Head of Science of the School and parents about ionic liquids, a flourishing research area at the College. Dr Ge considered the event to be a huge success as it facilitates the cultivation of great science communicators at an early age. "It was also a rewarding and fun experience. I would recommend other researchers from the College to do it as well," Ling adds.