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In this issue:
A Knighthood for Doug Turnbull, a top European award for Life and Northumbria University and a 60 second interview with Professor Richard Wiseman ahead of his upcoming lecture at Life exploring how our minds work.
Plus - awe-struck visitors give a resounding thumbs-up to our new ANIMAL INSIDE OUT exhibition.
As always, if you have comments or questions, or just want to know more, do get in touch.
Best wishes
Chief Executive, Life
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Arise, Sir Douglas!
Doug Turnbull, Professor of Neurology at Newcastle University who has devoted his career to the treatment and research of devastating mitochondrial disease, has been awarded a Knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Doug’s work was also recognised in 2012 when he and his colleagues were awarded the coveted Wellcome Trust Centre status, one of only nine in the UK. As Director, Doug has built an internationally renowned team of clinicians and researchers, with many undertaking their research activity at the Centre for Life.
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Life’s strategic partnership with Northumbria University has been recognised at an awards ceremony attended by over 1,000 delegates at the European Network of Science Centres and Museums (Ecsite) annual conference in Graz, Austria.
Created in 2015, the Mariano Gago Ecsite Awards encourage creative and impactful work within the informal science education sector and recognise organisations whose partnerships contribute to the development of excellence in science engagement.
(Pictured: The new Brain Zone at Life is one of the areas to have benefitted from the partnership).
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"I can't believe they are real animals," is the overwhelming response to the ANIMAL INSIDE OUT exhibition which has opened at Life. It is from the creators of BODY WORLDS and has attracted visitors from all over the UK - including a school group from London as well as the Lord Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear, Sue Winfield and several of her deputies.
With over 100 real animal specimens on display, feedback from visitors has been overwhelmingly positive. Comments include 'awe-inspiring', 'humbling' and 'incredible'. The exhibition is at Life Science Centre until 3 January 2017.
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We were thrilled to see British Astronaut Tim Peake return safely to Earth after 186 days on the International Space Station.
During his time in space, Tim took part in more than 250 scientific experiments, performed a spacewalk, ran the London Marathon on a treadmill, and inspired more than a million schoolchildren with educational outreach activities, some of which took place at Life as part of the Destination Space project.
In the coming months, Major Peake, 44, will embark on a tour of the UK to meet some of those school children and hear how his Principia Mission inspired them.
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1. Describe your current role:
I am the Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. This means that I bridge the gap between academia and the public. Much of my work involves letting people know the latest key findings from research about, for example, how to be happy or lucky or more productive.
2. Worst job you’ve ever done?
I haven’t had many jobs. I did once work in a very busy supermarket as a teenager, and they put me on the ‘7 items or less’ checkout. After a few days I was bored and a customer came along with a box of cornflakes. I said that I couldn’t put it through because it contained thousands of items. As a result they took me off of the checkout and gave the worst job of all - the dreaded toilet roll aisle!
3. Proudest work-related moment?
I regularly get emails from children who say that they have watched the videos on my Quirkology YouTube channel and, as a result, become interested in psychology. It is a lovely feeling, and we have had over 360 million views now, so I hope we have inspired young minds across the world.
4. Biggest work-related mistake?
My goodness. There are so many to choose from! I once started a lecture and was half way through before I realised that I was giving the wrong lecture. Weirdly I should have been speaking about the psychology of conformity, and so the fact that no one in the audience said anything for 30 minutes turned the whole thing into a conformity experiment.
5. Any wisdom you can share?
I guess all of my books speak to the notion of change. Many people think that they are unable to change and grow, and I think that is one of the most damaging thoughts anyone can have. Instead it is important to realise that we change throughout our lives and it is usually what makes life exciting.
6. Three words to describe you.
Charismatic. Handsome. Liar.
7. Tell us something about you that might come as a surprise to people who know you.
I have been involved in magic since I was eight, am a member of the Inner Magic Circle, and have performed magic in Las Vegas.
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24 June 2016, 7:00pm - 10:30pm
This month sees the launch of a new series of events which are just for adults.
The first Friday Night Life includes a special Tim Peake film in the planetarium celebrating his time aboard the International Space Station as well a performance from Frozen Music Collective - who create music based on data from the human brain.
Online advanced tickets: £8.00 per person.
On the door: £10 per person.
20% discount for Annual Pass holders.
Over 18s only.
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