It was a real lesson in science communication and one I thoroughly enjoyed.
- Dr David Nunan, University of Oxford
Congratulations to Dr David Nunan, a senior research fellow and departmental lecturer, who is a runner-up in the schools outreach competition "I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here."
The free online X Factor-style competition, which runs three times per year and is supported by the Wellcome Trust, brings together UK secondary school students and scientists from various disciplines.
Students challenge the scientists over fast-paced online live chats, asking them any question they can think of, and voting for their favourite scientist to win a prize of £500 to help them communicate their work to the public.
“Guardian of evidence” David Nunan, who is a tutor and module co-ordinator for the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine’s EBHC masters programme, was faced with a vast array of questions from “why are clouds white” to “are scientists close to finding a cure for cancer?”
"I was both surprised and challenged by the inquisitive minds of secondary school students!" said David. "Explaining what you do, why you do it and what difference does it make was no mean feat. It was a real lesson in science communication and one I thoroughly enjoyed."
David writes about his experience of the competition on the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine blog.