A former Cockermouth School pupil has scooped a national science award.
Research scientist Rebecca Cummings has been crowned UK science communication champion in the final of FameLab, the world’s leading science communication and training programme which aims to make science accessible to all.
She will now go on to represent the UK in the International FameLab Final later in the year.
Two hundred research scientists, engineers and mathematicians from universities across the UK competed in regional heats to win a place in the final. The eight finalists had just three minutes to capture their audience and share their science in an engaging and entertaining way, talking directly to the camera with only props allowed.
Their presentations were judged on content, clarity and charisma by three judges, Dr. Becky Smethurst an astrophysicist from Oxford University, Dr. Jaideep Gupte, a social scientist from the University of Sussex and Robin Ince who co-presents Radio 4’s science programme “The Infinite Monkey Cage” with Brian Cox.
For her winning presentation, Rebecca used Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” to illustrate how science can be used to save great works of art through spectroscopy, the the study of the absorption and emission of light.
She is currently researching into the mirror coatings of gravitational wave detectors for her PhD at the University of Glasgow.
On announcing her as the winner, Robin Ince praised Rebecca for having “so brilliantly combined art and science” with “a great combination of visual imagery, of ideas, of philosophy” and that she’d won “because we had so many images left in our heads”.
Rebecca said she was shocked to win against such strong competition and that she would use her £2,000 award “as a chance to put more effort into science communication and maybe make a YouTube channel” also commenting how much she was “looking forward to finally being allowed back in the lab again and have more time on the microscopes”.
Now in its 15th year, FameLab was created by the Cheltenam Science Festival and is delivered globally by the British Council.
Every year, FameLab provides training in science communication to thousands of researchers in 35 countries across the world who then take part in regional, national and international competitions.
On being asked how she felt about representing the UK in the international final later this year, Rebecca simply said “Sorry, I’m speechless. I’m so excited.”
