perspectives
The 2009 British Science Festival perspectives competition has been won by Gemma Webster from the University of Dundee.
perspectives is a poster exhibition in which researchers funded by the UK Research Councils present and explore the social implications of their work.
Gemma’s poster deals with dementia. At first sight it’s a food label.
It describes Helen, an 87-year old woman with dementia, in the terms of popular stereotype. “Directions: Place contents in a chair and move once or twice a day.
“Ingredients: awkward; demanding; irritating; forgetful.”
Gemma explains that it “aims to help staff see the whole person, not just the illness, and treat the person as an individual not simply a set of needs to service… A commonly held view is that older people are not as valuable or interesting as the young members of society. The aim of this poster is to challenge that view and show that older people are valuable assets to our society.”
Another arresting poster shows the wrinkled face of an old woman.
“I’m doing basic research on the best model system for ageing in humans,” said the poster’s designer, Penelope Mason, from Oxford University. “We want people to be able to live as healthily as possible for as long as possible. People are scared about ageing. I hope they will feel that ageing is not scary. We can deal with this.”
Rob Ellis’s poster is also dramatic. It shows a chimney stack belching out acidic pollution, which ends up in the oceans. “Ideally my research will lead to a greater understanding of the impact humans are having on the world’s oceans, leading to a greater societal consciousness and a push for reduced carbon dioxide emissions,” says Rob, from the University of Plymouth.
The competition’s 36 entries were judged on Wednesday by a panel of science writers, science communicators and scientists, coordinated by Nigel Eady of the British Science Association.
Gemma has won £750 from Research Councils UK. Each of five runners-up won £200.
By Wendy Barnaby
perspectives is a poster exhibition in which researchers funded by the UK Research Councils present and explore the social implications of their work.
Gemma’s poster deals with dementia. At first sight it’s a food label.
It describes Helen, an 87-year old woman with dementia, in the terms of popular stereotype. “Directions: Place contents in a chair and move once or twice a day.
“Ingredients: awkward; demanding; irritating; forgetful.”
Gemma explains that it “aims to help staff see the whole person, not just the illness, and treat the person as an individual not simply a set of needs to service… A commonly held view is that older people are not as valuable or interesting as the young members of society. The aim of this poster is to challenge that view and show that older people are valuable assets to our society.”
Another arresting poster shows the wrinkled face of an old woman.
“I’m doing basic research on the best model system for ageing in humans,” said the poster’s designer, Penelope Mason, from Oxford University. “We want people to be able to live as healthily as possible for as long as possible. People are scared about ageing. I hope they will feel that ageing is not scary. We can deal with this.”
Rob Ellis’s poster is also dramatic. It shows a chimney stack belching out acidic pollution, which ends up in the oceans. “Ideally my research will lead to a greater understanding of the impact humans are having on the world’s oceans, leading to a greater societal consciousness and a push for reduced carbon dioxide emissions,” says Rob, from the University of Plymouth.
The competition’s 36 entries were judged on Wednesday by a panel of science writers, science communicators and scientists, coordinated by Nigel Eady of the British Science Association.
Gemma has won £750 from Research Councils UK. Each of five runners-up won £200.
By Wendy Barnaby
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