Soapbox Science is an interactive public outreach activity that aims to promote science to a public audience. More specifically, the spotlight is on the role of women in STEM sciences aiming to promote their role in these fields and reducing the gap between gender inequalities.
A list of passionate scientists are chosen every year to speak out about their latest discoveries! The event takes places in a public area and the format is the one of the London Hyde Park’s Speaker’s Corner and there is one single rule NO SLIDES.
Soapbox Science events take place all around the UK. Last year it was the second consecutive Cardiff event, which took place on Saturday the 10 of June 2017. I was lucky enough to be informed about the event from my department and signed up to be a volunteer alongside another MATHS Phd student, Martina Cracco.
A total of 12 speakers covered a vast range of scientific fields such as Chemistry, Astronomy, Engineering, Medicine, Earth and Ocean Sciences. The main event lasted from 1-4pm and the day finished off with an amazing meal with everyone involved.
This year, after a great discussion with my PhD supervisor Vincent Knight, I decided to apply to be one of the speakers for the 2018 event. The main reason behind it, was that I believe that mathematics is a very misunderstood discipline. It is often described as too abstract and theoretical and people are not always aware of its applications to real world problems.
Moreover, the discipline also suffers from gender inequality. For example, within Cardiff University a very low number of women make it to postgraduate studies.
So I filled in my application and submitted it, and I am very happy to announce that I am one of the 2018 speakers of Soapbox Science Cardiff. The event will be taking place on the 2nd of June at the Alliance Statue area, near the central library.
So I would like to ask everyone that happens to be in Cardiff on the 2nd of June to walk by and listen to, not just me, but to all of the amazing speakers that will be there. That would be greatly beneficial to the cause of Soapbox science!
Moreover to everyone, (of any gender), that happens to be in Cardiff and wants to be involved in a science event, you can fill a volunteering application (as Martina and I did last year), which can be found on the event’s website.
I hope to see many of you there, hopefully the weather will be good and I am pretty sure I will not fall from my box!