IIT-M research scholar bags second place at FameLab science contest

The competition saw 30 participants from Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala and Karnataka region face- off as they presented innovative science ideas in less than three minutes each. Prabahan Chakraborty, pursing PhD from NCBS Bengaluru and Gayathri Sankar, an MSc student from MG College, affiliated to the University of Kerala, won the first and third prizes respectively. These winners will compete at the national finals scheduled to be held at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune in January 2017. 

Rini’s presentation touched upon the ways in which differently-abled people communicate with their environment. She said, “Deaf and blind people lose out on most of the information from our environment. Around 95 per cent of communication happens using our eyes and ears. So, these people have to rely heavily on their sense of touch to know about their environment and to communicate. My talk was on how they do so, and how this concept can be applied in the speech processing domain. Many people feel communication is all about words. But it is a science by itself. There are many forms of it that we tend to ignore. If we look closely, for a deaf/blind person, his hands talk. My inspiration came from the same.” 

The South India finals had top participants from IIT-Madras; University of Kerala; Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru; National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli; National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru and Manipal University, Karnataka among others. 

“For me, the competition was very tough. I never expected to get through. I personally liked a few of them more than mine. Many experienced researchers had come to participate and gave the other contestants healthy competition,” added Rini. 

Before the competition, the finalists attended an exclusive masterclass on science communications from eminent science communicator Prof Iain Stewart from Plymouth University, UK. The training focused on honing a life-skill that would help science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workers reach new audiences. Putting their learning to use, the teams showcased the exciting side of science with improved communications and presentation skills and joined an international alumni network. 

“I never knew I could communicate science effectively. I have always been passionate about teaching and assumed this competition would give me the chance to improve as a communicator. More than the competition, the workshop broadened my domain of knowledge about science communication. Also, the competition gave me a chance to witness other participants who did a great job. I learnt a lot about the different styles of presentation. I enjoyed the experience to the core. Every single bit of it imparted knowledge in an entertaining way,” said Rini. Speaking at the event, Meikwei Barker, Director, British Council South India, said, “This is the first time that FameLab has an India leg and the response has been overwhelming. It was wonderful to see youngsters present complex scientific concepts. We hope more and more participants will make use of this global platform and take this opportunity to further their skills.” 

FameLab works towards encouraging scientists to inspire and excite the public’s imagination with a vision of science in the 21st century. The competition provides a platform for researchers to put forth their ideas to the public in an interesting manner; enhance their communication and presentation skills; and engage with like-minded individuals and alumni network.