Science, also in bars

Irene Vega

The scientific community of the URJC has been participating in this event for the last seven editions and this year Fernando Cortés-Fossati, Yedra García García and Javier Martín Buldú will share their knowledge on subjects as diverse as the world of spiders, the different functions of flower fragrances and new technologies applied to the field of sport, respectively.

Bringing science closer to society is one of the great challenges of the scientific community, especially in recent times where more and more hoaxes are spreading at high speed through social networks. Events like the Festival Pint of Science They aim to reach the general public, inviting researchers to give an informative talk outside the academic field, specifically in a bar.

For three days, between May 22 and 24, this festival will be held simultaneously in different countries, including Spain, which will host talks in more than 50 cities, including Madrid.

The three URJC researchers highlight that thanks to the format in which this festival is held, it is easier to reach the public and explain scientific concepts in a more entertaining way. "I think it's a great format that helps break down barriers and prejudices about the scientific world and that helps us transmit our work effectively to society," says Yedra García García, postdoctoral researcher in the Biodiversity and Conservation Area.

Fernando Cortés-Fossati, a researcher in the Biodiversity and Conservation Area, points out that “this event is special because of its audience, because of the enthusiasm with which we are welcomed. As academics, scientists unconsciously tend to attract the public to our field, to more formal events such as a congress or a conference, even if it is informative. But the success of Pint of Science is to do just the opposite. It is much easier to reach the general public in a relaxed, fun environment, such as a bar. It is a neutral environment, very friendly for anyone, where you go to chat with colleagues and have a good time on a daily basis”.

In this sense, Javier M. Buldú, member of the High Performance Research Group in Complex Systems and Fundamental Physics, points out that “in many cases, people do not know that university professors are also researchers, including our own students. Pint of Science It is the ideal platform to bring science closer to society, transmitting it as something entertaining and fascinating. In addition, and this is already a personal conviction, researchers have a moral duty to bring science closer to people in order to, in this way, contribute to a more cultured and, therefore, fairer society”.

One more year, Pint of Science is a reality

Pint of Science It was born in May 2013 in the United Kingdom and, since then, countries (26 in total) and cities have not stopped joining the festival. In this eighth edition, Spain ranks as the country with the second highest participation in the world, with more than 500 talks being held in 58 cities.

The URJC has been participating in this event since 2016 through the coordination between its Scientific Culture and Innovation Unit (UCC+I, Vice-rector for Research, Innovation and Transfer) and the Association for Scientific Dissemination "Pint of Science Spain ”, organizer of the festival. In all editions, the URJC scientific community has welcomed this event with enthusiasm and some researchers have even repeated this experience, such as Javier M. Buldú. This is my second participation in Pint of Science, so I have been able to verify that it really works. It is very motivating, as a researcher, to perceive how there may be people interested in your work beyond the university environment”, affirms the researcher.

Fernando Cortés-Fossati also participated in the festival for the first time during the previous edition and this year encourages those researchers who have not yet decided to take the plunge. “I recommend this event as the ideal one to publicize your science or instill interest in research. It is an environment without barriers, with a spontaneous, fluid, very natural speaker-audience communication. At the same time, I believe that we live in a moment in which it is, if possible, more necessary than ever to bring our work closer to people”.

In the case of the researcher Yedra García García, this will be her first participation in the festival, but she assures that “the event is very well organized and you have the support of the organization at all times. The fact that it is in bars, in an informal environment and together with other researchers, at least for me, has encouraged me to dare to take the plunge”.

The organization Pint of Science 2023 has the collaboration of different entities that sponsor the festival and make it free, such as FMC Agricultural Solutions and Vadillo Asesores. The complete program can be consulted in the festival website.