TV presenter and scientist, Professor Kathy Sykes is to deliver the 2005 annual WiSETI lecture later today, calling for more listening.

Professor Sykes, who holds the Collier Chair in Public Engagement in Science & Engineering, at University of Bristol, is the fourth high profile woman scientist to deliver this lecture, which is designed to interest women and girls in science.

Previous speakers have included NASA astronaut, Dr Bonnie Dunbar; Professor Dame Julia Higgins, Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society and Professor of Engineering at Imperial College London; and Professor Julia Goodfellow CBE, Chief Executive of Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

Professor Sykes will tell the audience that scientists, in fact all academics, need to get better at engaging with the public to inspire the next generation, sharing the beauty of the subjects they study and to help society make wiser choices about issues around science affecting all our lives.

But most importantly, scientists need to inform the debate, to actively listen and understand the problems concerned in order to try and broaden their views and make wider choices.

Professor Sykes, alongside her academic career, has devoted much time to communicating science to the general public in television series such as BBC 2’s ‘Rough Science’ and BBC4’s ‘Mind Games’.

The lecture will take place on Tuesday 3 May, 2005 at 5 p.m. in the Palmerston Lecture Room at St John’s College. All are welcome.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. If you use this content on your site please link back to this page.