Central stage for science
In the FameLab finals in June 2015, Max Planck PhD student Dong-Seon Chang made it among the best nine science slammers in the world
Chang had qualified for the final round by winning the German finals. In Cheltenham, before an audience of hundreds of people, he fulfilled his dream of making it among the top ten worldwide.
The perfect science slam should be exciting, spontaneous, and informative. Contestants can be armed with a prop or two; perhaps show images and video clips - or give karate demonstrations. Dong-Seon's science slam performances combine all these elements. After all, he is a professional, and knows what a science slam audience likes.
In fact, he may know more about audience expectations than other science slammers, because with science slamming, the 35-year-old South Korean has, strictly speaking, turned his profession into a hobby. The contestsant in Cheltenham- the FameLab finals featured participants from 27 countries - had to break down scientific concepts such as Ebola and black holes in a three minute presentation. In his presentation, Dong-Seon was able to use the findings of his doctoral thesis and apply his research directly to the audience. The researcher at the MPI for Biological Cybernetics studies action recognition in social interactions, examining how the brain categorizes different social actions, and whether there are cultural differences.
A complex subject: but usually the audience is hooked as soon as Dong-Seon asks his opening question: "Hands up: Who of you think that Asian people all look the same?" Ultimately, Dong-Seon wants to bring his research subject to life so that a wider audience can understand it: for example, how different neurons encode actions; for example, when someone bows to us in greeting, when we, as Europeans, would rather shake hands with them.
An ambassador on stage
As casual as the performances of the PhD student may appear, they require not only a lot of practice, but also a lot of thought as to what messages his appearance may convey: "I like to wear my eLife T-shirt on stage, because I also want to promote open access," said Dong-Seon, who is an Open Access Ambassador for the Max Planck Society. At the world's Largest Science Communication Festival, the International FameLab, he wore his eLife T-Shirt throughout all his interviews.
When asked how long he will remain faithful to the Science Slam stage, Dong-Seon laughs: "I want to submit my thesis by the end of this year. And I am looking forward to spending more time with my little son Theo starting this summer," he says, adding:"I wanted to be amongst the top nine finalists at FameLab in England. This dream has come true. Now I will focus on my dissertation."
BiA