Royal Society Summer Science Exhibitions
Aims
To bring our research from the Quantum Technology Centre to a broad audience; to inspire the next generation of scientists, give people a glimpse of the future, and engage with decision-makers, funders, and the government.
Overview
The Summer Science Exhibition at the Royal Society is a unique yearly event dating back to 1778. It sees around 20 leading research groups bring exciting elements of their work to the Royal Society’s base in London. More than 13,000 members of the public, including 2,000 school students, visit the free event over the course of a week in July. It also attracts interest from print, online and broadcast media, and politician and dignitaries from all walks of life.
For four consecutive years (2017-2020), research focusing on recent advancements in quantum technologies from Lancaster was chosen through a highly selective process. The exhibits we led focused on a solution to the problem of counterfeiting, using materials like graphene, the importance of random numbers in our daily lives, and how a simple electronic device can generate them using a quantum process, as well as a world-leading new facility housed at Lancaster, IsoLab – which was designed from the bottom-up to enable cutting-edge research.
Results and Outcomes
Tab Content: For Partners and Engagement
Visitor surveys taken during the exhibits show that 97% of the attendees rate the exhibition highly and that 93% would visit again and recommend it. The exhibition's impact goes far beyond the sheer numbers of visitors that attend in person, however. For example, our 2017 exhibit received broad media coverage from over 100 news outlets including the BBC News online, Physics World, The Times, New Scientist, Mail Online, The Economic Times and Wired. Prof. Young was interviewed on Sky News, BBC Breakfast, EurObsIT and Stobbs IP. A specifically commissioned ‘Future Without Fakes’ video was made available on YouTube (more than 50,000 views). International engagement, with popular science articles, videos, and interviews in many different languages, reached more than 100 million people. As a result of the media attention and exposure to influential business leaders at the soirées, a Lancaster spin-out, Quantum Base Ltd., attracted new commercial partners. A video was featured in the 2020 Summer Science Online Exhibition that detailed the further scientific and commercial development of this technology.
Tab Content: For Academics
The most challenging part of exhibiting at the Royal Society is overcoming the first step in the process – putting together a proposal that its committee will select. Prof. Young was invited to be a part of this committee in 2019 and was recently re-elected for a second term; if you’re considering exhibiting, please contact him for help and advice. Once your proposal has been accepted, there is a wealth of experience and resource throughout the University to help you plan and deliver the experience – from helping with logistics and design to testing ideas and concepts at local events, such as Light Up Lancaster, Campus in the City and the Lancashire Innovation Festival.
Delivering the exhibit for a week in the summer takes a team of 15-20 people, which is a great opportunity for academics, but can be a life-changing experience for students and early-career researchers – one of our team, as an example, has gone on to make a career from science engagement!
Media coverage from the exhibition led to numerous opportunities, including invitations, to exhibit at other events at locations (including the Science Museum in London and the Barbican Centre). To apply for specific grants – we can attribute over £1m in funding to our exhibits!
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