{"id":1817,"date":"2017-12-10T22:00:08","date_gmt":"2017-12-10T22:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.reading.ac.uk\/the-forum\/?p=1817"},"modified":"2023-02-23T16:04:17","modified_gmt":"2023-02-23T16:04:17","slug":"inspiring-future-scientists-with-fossil-pollen-time-machines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/research-blog\/2017\/12\/10\/inspiring-future-scientists-with-fossil-pollen-time-machines\/","title":{"rendered":"Inspiring future scientists with fossil pollen time machines"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oli Wilson<\/strong><\/a>, a PhD student and Graduate Teaching Assistant in the School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Sciences, is exploring Brazil\u2019s unique and endangered Araucaria forests \u2013 how they were shaped in the past by humans and climate change, and how likely they are to survive in the future.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Recently, Oli won an online competition<\/strong>, \u2018I\u2019m A Scientist: Get Me Out Of Here!\u2019<\/strong><\/a>. Here, Oli explains how this outreach activity is helping to inspire a new generation of scientists, and why he\u2019ll be spending his winnings on an innovative resource for public engagement.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0A science work-out<\/h3>\n

I like to think I can find some kind of answer to most scientific questions I\u2019m asked, but from time to time I find myself utterly stumped \u2013 and, for a fortnight in early November, it started happening with almost embarrassing regularity:<\/p>\n

Why can\u2019t we shapeshift? (We\u2019re not cuttlefish.) What would happen if a car travelling at light speed turned on its headlights? (Terrible things, probably.) How would you explain relativity to a ten-year-old? (I wouldn\u2019t; I couldn\u2019t!) Why do aeroplanes stay up? (I believe it to be a combination of physics and magic.)<\/p>\n

My brain\u2019s workout came courtesy of an online outreach competition called \u2018I\u2019m A Scientist: Get Me Out Of Here!\u2019<\/strong><\/a> \u00a0It\u2019s as reality TV-like as its name suggests \u2013 school students ask scientists questions and vote for their favourites, with scientists getting evicted as the competition progresses.<\/p>\n

Entering a jargon-free zone<\/u><\/h3>\n

One of the competition\u2019s most exacting challenges comes in the application phase: describing your work using just one sentence and a 13-year-old\u2019s language. I realised \u2018the palaeoecology and climate resilience of Brazil\u2019s Araucaria forests\u2019 probably wouldn\u2019t cut it, so eventually I went with \u2018Using fossil pollen time machines and computer models to work out the past and future of a threatened forest in Brazil,\u2019 an idea I also used in this summer\u2019s .<\/p>\n

First hurdle cleared, I found myself in a general science zone alongside five other, brilliant, scientists<\/a>. We shared a dozen finger-achingly frenetic live chats and 300+ questions, and I learned a huge amount \u2013 from Edward\u2019s remote-controlled mice and Kerrianne\u2019s revelation that \u2018the human body literally glitters\u2019, to a student\u2019s question about the environmental impact of fireworks which unexpectedly challenged my pre-existing opinions.<\/p>\n

At the end of the fortnight, having dodged three evictions, I found myself watching a message board that, word-by-word and agonisingly slowly, revealed who\u2019d won the \u00a3500 prize\u2026<\/p>\n

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Printing a Pollen Time Machine<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Now I\u2019ve got over my shock at winning, I\u2019m planning to use the money to 3D-print accurate, larger-than-life models of pollen grains. Much of my research involves looking at pollen that\u2019s spent centuries stored in bogs (hence \u2018fossil pollen time machines\u2019), but this can be difficult to translate into accessible outreach activities. These models will not only show off pollen grains\u2019 microscopic, intricate designs, but also help students understand what we do by making and interpreting their own pollen time machines. I can\u2019t wait to get started!<\/p>\n

If you enjoy communicating your science to others, want to help debunk stereotypes of scientists, and fancy inspiring the next generation, I wholeheartedly recommend you sign up for I\u2019m A Scientist \u2013 registration for the next event in March 2018 is already open<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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'I honestly didn't think plants were interesting until 10 minutes ago'<\/p>\n

HEADLINE: Scientist in #IASUK<\/a> succeeds in making plants interesting to school students \ud83d\udc4f\ud83d\udc4f\ud83d\udc4f @OliJWilson<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/FVRw0UU6pD<\/a><\/p>\n

— I'm a Scientist Team (@imascientist) November 9, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n