Pint of Science event will return to pubs incity for second year

But that’s exactly what will be happening as the national Pint of Science festival will be returning to Portsmouth this May, for three nights of boozy science.

Pint of Science is a non-profit organisation founded in 2012 that brings some of the most brilliant scientists to pubs across the country.

This year’s locations include The Fat Fox in Victoria Road South, Southsea, and The Barley Mow, in Castle Road, Southsea.

Speakers will be covering a range of topics including dinosaurs in the desert, urban ecology and investigating whether sports bras are worth the price tag, plus other topics.

Alongside the main talks, each night includes a range of live experiments, quizzes, and other thought-provoking activities.

The festival first began after researchers Dr Michael Motskin and Dr Praveen Paul hosted a ‘meet the researchers’ event in their labs, with reactions from the public being ‘phenomenal.’

Portsmouth co-ordinator Dr Anthony Butcher, who will be speaking at the Barley Mow, said: ‘The week is a way to get the public excited about the research is going on.

‘The previous event was so successful we knew we had to host one again.’

He said that speakers often found that members of the public had little idea of what scientists do, creating a sense of mistrust. The sessions allow scientists to clarify confusion and put their work into perspective, bridging the gap between ‘us and them’.

Dr Butcher said: ‘The event is really good for people who want to understand what’s going on at their doorstep.

‘The University of Portsmouth is full of people carrying out research and a lot of people don’t know what’s being studied.

‘These events help people find out what’s going on in the area. For the cost of a pint you can get an evening of scientific entertainment, so definitely come along.’

The Portsmouth events – from May 15 to 17 – have been sponsored by the University of Portsmouth, eLife and Elsevier.

Tickets cost £4 per night. Tickets and dates are available online at pintofscience.co.uk/events/portsmouth

Events will also be taking place in 25 other locations including; Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Guildford, Hull, Leeds, London, Manchester Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield, Southampton, Teesside, York, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Durham, Canterbury/Medway, and Liverpool.