Presenter details
It's Real Science!
Presenter: Dr Martin Coath
Company/organisation: University of Plymouth
Email address: mcoath@bcs.org
Website: www.scandle.eu/partners/project-researchers/martin-coath
Phone number: 01752 584915
Address:
PSQ A217
Computational Neuroscience
Plymouth
Devon
PL4 8AA
Last Modified: 27 July 2010
Description: I do NOT create WHIZZ BANG demonstrations designed to make the audience gasp!
We can do real science. Any age group, any group size, and a wide range of subjects.
Real science involves forming hypotheses and then testing them. It involves making measurements and doing a bit of maths.
I concentrate on engaging the audience, at whatever level, in the real issues of what the scientific method is and how it can help us interpret the world.
Type of presentation: Hands-on activities
Duration of presentation/timings: Negotiable
Subjects covered:
Life processes and living things
Materials and their properties
Physical processes
Personal Social / Health Education
Regions covered: South East & London, South West, Wales, West Midlands
Audience types: 11-14 (Key Stage 3/ P7/ S1-2), 14-16 (Key Stage 4/ S3-4), 16 years +, 5-7 (Key Stage 1/ P1-2), 7-11 (Key Stage 2/ P3-6), Adults, Families, Professionals, Students
Group size: Any
Space/facility/venue requirements: Negotiable
Level of experience: Professional science communicator
CRB checked or Disclosure Scotland: Yes
Science & Engineering Ambassador: Yes
Booking details: Contact by email
Free: No
Charge details (if applicable): It depends on the customer and the requirements. I am happy to work in some cases for expenses only.
Rating:
Reviews:
- Lola Perrin - Earlier this summer I took two 12 year old boys to Martin's talk at Cheltenham Music Festival. He was on stage with a violin maker and together they revealed a world of wood, glue and how the violin sound is made and how it travels - it was interactive as Martin had us all experimenting with gluing wood from our seats in the audience which was a lot of fun! Once again, a great combination of art and science that got complicated concepts across in a clear and highly entertaining way.
- Michael Garrod - I’ve known Martin for several years both as a violinist, a violin maker and as an enthusiast for talking to people about science in an understandable no frills way. I last saw him in action at Cheltenham last year, presenting aspects of sound perception to a general audience. His lecture was a model of good preparation, good visuals, good audience participation and above all great enthusiasm. He certainly held the people who were there and I, a lapsed physicist and TV producer, learned a lot. Don’t ask him to jazz up his performance, just get him to give a straight forward presentation of something he’s interested in and he’ll reward you with a memorable experience.
- Edward P Gibson - "Martin" continues to inspire by walking his talk. He engages, he is involved, he is a moving force who epotimizes character and professional consistency. "Keep up the great motivating presentations, Martin."
- Robert Lockhart - I have seen Martin do many presentations on a range of technical subjects. He is erudite, accessible, enthusiastic, and has an nice sense of his audience. Quite the best face-to-face teacher I have encountered.
- Anonymous - Dr Coath has the ability to make two classes of Year 4 and 5 pupils excited about real science.
Too often children are shown some showy pyrotechnics in order to make science look fun and interesting. I witnessed two classes of mixed ability children really engrossed in their investigations, carrying out challenging maths (and having fun) and getting real results! Not an explosion in sight. I have also seen Dr Coath talk at Cheltenham Festivals, engaging mixed audiences with his wide ranging knowledge and enthusiasm for science. Give him a subject and he will talk with authority and humour about the science involved. Entertaining and informative.
