Louis Buckley from Guerilla Science blogs about the August Lates, which was themed around the science of sex, drugs and music.
Being accustomed to working at music festivals, the rest of the Guerilla Science team and I are, shall we say, not unfamiliar with the hedonistic themes explored at this month’s Science Museum Lates.
For those of you who haven’t heard of us before, Guerilla Science is an organisation that specialises in taking science to summer festivals all across the UK – from Glastonbury and Green Man to the Edinburgh Fringe and the Secret Garden Party.
Working in unfamiliar and often unexpected settings, we set out to challenge audiences and scientists alike, getting them to consider and experience scientific ideas in new ways that are enlightening, inspiring and – we hope – entertaining too!
While not our usual habitat, bringing a sex, drugs and music themed programme of events to the raucous and exhilarating environment of the Science Museum Lates was an offer far too good for Guerilla Science to turn down.
So, what did we get up to on the night itself? Guerilla Science put on 14 workshops, demonstrations and talks across the museum, from mapping erogenous zones and anatomical life drawing in the fourth and fifth floor medical galleries to crocheting chromosomes among the strange and challenging materials gallery on the second floor.
It isn’t possible to go through them all in detail, but I’ll pick out a few of my personal highlights from the night to share with those that couldn’t make it – or can’t remember being there!
First up, Guerilla Science’s own Zoe Cormier filled the Museum’s theatre with tales from her new book ‘Sex, Drugs and Rock n’ Roll’, while chemist extraordinaire Andrea Sella treated audiences to a bubbling and explosive journey through the science of distillation.
On the third floor we ran a range of hands-on activities, from experimental hangover cures with food scientist Becki Clark to examining drugged-up fruitfly mutants with Dr James Hodge and sniffing a range of mystery fragrances with chemists Rose Gray and Alex Bour.
My personal favourite, though, was up among the aeroplanes of the Flight gallery, where sexologists Soazig Clifton and Clare Tanton discussed the findings of their national survey of sexual habits and attitudes and tested these against the audience’s own experiences and perceptions.
All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and a fantastic opportunity to create something for the Museum’s wonderful audience. Most importantly, we hope the Lates punters enjoyed Guerilla Science’s attempt to bring a little bit of festival magic into the galleries of this grand old institution and might be tempted to check out one of our events in future.
Guerilla Science’s book ‘Sex, Drugs and Rock n’ Roll, the Science of Hedonism and the Hedonism of Science’ is out now, published by Profile Books.
The next Lates is on 24 September and is all about Magic and Illusion