Panellists discuss their answers, National Science Quiz
Over 200 in-person audience members and more than 400 online contestants competed in this month’s National Science Quiz, co-presented by FLEET with a collaboration of nine research organisations.
Return host ABC TV and radio presenter Charlie Pickering, who has hosted each NSQ since the inaugural edition in 2017, chaired two competing teams, comprising:
- Astrophysicist Kirsten Banks (UNSW)
- Meteorologist Nate Byrne (ABC TV)
- Mathematical biologist Barbara Holland (University of Tasmania)
- Sci-comms TV presenter Lawrence Leung (ABC TV)
- Water Scientist Bradley Moggridge (University of Canberra)
- Quantum physicist Jacqui Romero (UQ)
Over 200 in-person audience members were joined another 400 members of the public online
The National Science Quiz is a celebration of science, the key feature of which is a panel of scientists and/or science communicators who apply humour and scientific reasoning to answer a series of thought-provoking questions across multiple branches of science.
Some level of ‘showing your working’ is encouraged, so that the audience can follow the thought processes of panellists as they deduce the correct answer.
2022 marked the return of the Quiz to a live-audience formaty, after two years of pandemic-enforced online participation.
FLEET’s Jason Major chaired the 2022 organising committee, while another two FLEET members volunteered on the night, gaining useful on-the-ground experience in running public science-outreach events.
“It was such a fantastic and exciting event! The volunteers were wonderful, and assisting with the organisational processes required to run an event such as this has given me a new set of skills and a greater appreciation of the effort required to run a successful outreach event” –FLEET PhD candidate Joshua Gray (RMIT) helped run the live, online audience-participation package SLIDO on the night
Captain of the winning team on the night, Lawrence Leung
The 2022 National Science Quiz was presented by the ARC Centres of Excellence for Plant Success, Engineered Quantum Technology (EQUS), Exciton Science, Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav), Transformative Meta-Optical Systems (TMOS) and FLEET, as well as residential research institute for the mathematical sciences (MATRIX), Monash Engineering and Defence Science Australia.
The Quiz was developed to be a fun way to engage people with science and to help break down barriers that exist with the discipline – to help people realize that they can participate in science without needing to be scientists.
“The National Science Quiz was great, the panellists were entertaining and I learnt a lot about science. I really enjoyed the questions and I will definitely be back next year for another challenge.” (Lucas Sharpe, NSQ winner, Fed. Square, live audience)
“I loved playing along from home, using Slido was easy, and I loved seeing the audience’s response statistics…Had lots of fun.” (Finn Thompson, NSQ winner, online at home audience)
Science outreach beyond the terms of its hosts
The long-term goal is that the Quiz becomes an ongoing, annual feature event of the National Science Week program – beyond the terms of the science organisations that host it.
The Quiz was initially run in Australia by the Centre for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers, ACEMS (from 2016-21), which coordinated co-sponsors such as FLEET and other ARC Centres.
An opportunity for FLEET members to get together in person, RMIT PhD team
From 2022 onwards, with ACEMS having finished its funding term, the baton passed from ACEMS to FLEET. However this was just the first step in the process to ensure the longevity of this valuable asset.
As initial Chair of a new NSQ Steering Committee, FLEET assembled a new, diverse team of partners and sponsor organisations and established a principle of rolling responsibility, with each centre taking on responsibility to Chair the committee and host the Quiz each year.
As Centres mature through their lifecycle (seven years for an ARC Centre of Excellence), this approach should provide adequate opportunity for Centres to develop their involvement in the National Science Quiz, take the lead and then pass on the baton to other Centres.
“This is a new model for ongoing outreach events amongst ARC Centres. It means the great work done by ACEMS over the last six years will continue – and we will ensure it continues beyond FLEET’s tenure too. Essentially, we’re applying the same principles of legacy and sustainability to this valuable science-outreach asset as Centres do to research translation!” – Jason Major
The current National Science Quiz committee members are outreach and communications officers, and researchers at each of the nine participating science centres and organisations.
As well as ensuring adequate funding, there is a usefully diverse science focus amongst participating centres, including physics, chemistry, agriculture and maths. In addition, individuals on the committee bring skills in outreach, communication, publicity, live events and TV.
Audience polling confirmed participants had found the Quiz a fun way to engage with science
Engaging, entertaining, enjoyable: impressions from the audience poll
Word of mouth is king: Both live and online audience members primarily discovered the Quiz via friends