Audio Transcript

Published: March 5, 2018
APA 7 Citation: Newsome, B. (Host). (2018, March 5). Scienceability 5 [Audio podcast transcript]. Fizzics Education.
https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/podcast/fizzicsed/how-scienceability-challenges-stereotypes-2/

Ben Newsome CF is the recipient of the 2023 UTS Chancellor’s Award for Excellence and a Churchill Fellow. He is a global leader in science communication and the founder of Fizzics Education.

[00:00:00]
Announcer: You’re listening to the Fizzics Ed Podcast. For hundreds of ideas, free experiments and more, go to fizzicseducation.com.au. And now, here’s your host, Ben Newsome.

[00:00:11]
Ben Newsome: Yes, welcome again to another Fizzics Ed Podcast. Yet again, we’ve got another big week. We’re speaking with someone quite cool, Siân Keys, who is doing fantastic work helping people with intellectual disabilities run and lead science programmes, all in public. It’s very, very cool and attracting quite a lot of awards. She does actually work as a senior programmes officer for the National Youth Science Forum, so you can imagine just how busy Siân really was during National Science Week last year. So, without further ado, let’s just hear about what Siân’s been doing and why she’s been doing it.

[00:00:41]
Siân Keys: So, what I’ve been focusing on lately is a programme called Scienceability. Back at the start of the year, or at the end of last year, I applied for a grant from National Science Week and I won it, which was fantastic, to put together a programme that I’d proposed called Scienceability. Scienceability runs hands-on science and engineering workshops for people with intellectual disabilities.

[00:01:17]
Siân Keys: I have a lot of experience working with people with intellectual disabilities. My younger brother has Down Syndrome, and I’ve been involved in that community for a very long time. It was just something that I thought was really, really important. I know that my brother has taken part in a whole bunch of different programmes throughout his life. He particularly loves dance and drama, and there are fantastic programmes out there in sport and the arts, but there never seemed to be anything out there for him in science.

[00:02:06]
Siân Keys: He always used to come and say to me when I was studying science at university that one day he wanted to do science just like me, and it made me a bit sad that there wasn’t anything out there where he could do that. So I thought, well, why shouldn’t I be the person to put that together?

[00:02:16]
Ben Newsome: And you really did, in a fantastic job of it. I was actually just thinking at the time, how has this not been done before? I’m absolutely amazed and almost surprised that no one had thought of it, and gee, you’ve really made a run of it.

[00:02:30]
Siân Keys: Yeah, there are a couple of other people doing some similar things, but not quite the same. I was lucky there is a woman in Canberra who is doing her PhD on quite a similar topic, so she’s been a wonderful source of knowledge for me and we’ve worked together quite a lot. But there hasn’t been anything existing quite to this level.

[00:02:54]
Siân Keys: So, we ran these workshops in the lead-up to National Science Week and the participants had an absolutely great time. But what was really powerful was that during National Science Week, those participants actually ran a science hands-on workshop for the Canberra community, which was absolutely incredible and kind of challenged people’s ideas about who does science and who science is for, because they were the ones teaching everyone else science.

[00:03:19]
Ben Newsome: It’s absolutely brilliant and actually does remind me of a theatre troupe out of inner-western Sydney called Ruckus, which has a number of contemporary performance artists who happen to have an intellectual disability as well. Their whole thing is about addressing inequalities, getting rid of social exclusion and all that stuff that comes with it. You’re doing this in science, which is fantastic, and I have to agree that if the person presenting the content knows what they’re doing, it’s irrelevant whether they’ve got an intellectual disability or not. Just teach the science, and if the kids are having fun and the adults are having fun, it does not matter in any way. That’s just fantastic.

[00:03:52]
Siân Keys: Yeah, thank you. It went really, really well and we’ve had a lot of great interest since then, so looking forward to what can be done with that in the future.

[00:04:02]
Ben Newsome: Just out of interest, what were the experiments that all the presenters were doing?

[00:04:12]
Siân Keys: So, in the lead-up to National Science Week we did six different workshops in a range of different themes. There was the Science of Colour, so we’d do things like rainbow milk where you’d have drops of food colouring in full-cream milk and then you’d dip a toothpick in detergent and drop it into different spots in the milk and see how that affected the fats within the milk and how that made all the colours move.

[00:04:57]
Siân Keys: We did the Science of Flight where we made rotocopters. We did Engineering where we made scribblebots. So, we did a whole bunch of different science and very different kinds of experiments during that. And then every single one of the participants chose their favourite experiment that they’d done in those workshops and we all practised them together and practised them on other participants before going and presenting them to the public.

[00:05:41]
Ben Newsome: Yeah, wow. And so how many of these sessions did you run for them, for the public?

[00:05:47]
Siân Keys: So, we ran just the one workshop for the public during National Science Week, and the six workshops leading up to it. But there’s definitely, you know, definitely space to do more in the future.

[00:05:59]
Ben Newsome: I was going to ask about that. No, undoubtedly you would have had a lot of requests for that.

[00:06:04]
Siân Keys: Yeah, it’s been really great. We’ve had a lot of schools get in touch to ask if we could run workshops for them. We’ve had some Scout and Guide groups. Yeah, there’s been a lot of really great interest, particularly around Canberra.

[00:06:21]
Ben Newsome: And what was really cool is that Australia’s Science Channel kind of nominated you guys.

[00:06:26]
Siân Keys: Yeah, that was awesome. They gave us Most Accessible and Inclusive, I think it was, programme in National Science Week, which was a real honour.

[00:06:41]
Ben Newsome: Yeah, I bet, absolutely. It was outstanding, frankly. It’s really, really cool. Obviously, this is a clear passion for you and it has a very clear family connection and you’re driving it forward, which is awesome. Just out of interest, though, what got you into science in the first place?

[00:07:01]
Siân Keys: Science was something I was always really interested in as a child. My parents were always very encouraging of me trying things out and seeing how they worked. I remember when I was younger, mum would always run experiments with me where we’d do chromatography of M&M colours on filter paper and splitting the stems of flowers and putting them in different coloured water to see how the capillary action worked. I was always very investigative as a child and my parents really encouraged that and I think that just went all the way through my studies. I always just wanted to keep learning more. But at the same time, I’ve always been interested in working with more diverse audiences and I think those two areas really melded together really well in Scienceability.

[00:07:14]
Ben Newsome: 100%. Now, and obviously you went through to university and did a bit of science, you know, learning about how science actually works, but I understand you went through to Questacon at some point.

[00:07:25]
Siân Keys: Yes, so I worked at Questacon for quite some time. I started there working as a part-time job while I was at university but then once I finished my honours degree I went on to do a Master’s joint through Questacon and the Australian National University, a programme called the Shell Questacon Science Circus.

[00:07:53]
Siân Keys: Which is a Master of Science Communication Outreach. And it’s really, really good fun. I spent a good part of the year travelling around Australia doing science and engineering workshops and shows in schools. And then continued to work with Questacon for quite some time after that. And it was a really great way to learn science communication, learn best practice and have a fantastic time doing it.

[00:08:12]
Ben Newsome: Absolutely. And those people who are listening in from overseas, Questacon is like the Australian National Science Centre and a really cool museum right in the heart of Canberra. Actually, not that far away from Parliament House. But just out of interest though, where did you get to travel? Because every time everyone does the Science Circus, they get to go to some really cool places. What was the best place you went to?

[00:08:32]
Siân Keys: Oh, I had some fantastic experiences in Science Circus. I spent a month just travelling around Tasmania which was absolutely beautiful and probably because of that my favourite state in Australia I’d say. But I also had some really exciting and really interesting opportunities. In one of my tours I spent a week in remote Indigenous communities staying with the schools there and working with the kids and that was absolutely fantastic and really mind-opening.

[00:09:01]
Ben Newsome: Absolutely. Now I understand that you also have been involved with the National Youth Science Forum.

[00:09:06]
Siân Keys: Yes, so that’s where I work at the moment when I’m not doing my Scienceability stuff, that’s my full-time job. So I’m the senior programmes officer at the National Youth Science Forum and we bring every year 600 Year 12 students to Canberra and Brisbane for hands-on residential science programmes. Fortnight-long science programmes where they get an idea of what it would be like to study or have a career in science or a science-related field.

[00:09:33]
Siân Keys: So we have that coming up actually very soon, our first one starts at the start of January. We have three of them. And yeah, getting excited about having all of the students arriving and getting them to see what are some of the opportunities by having a career or studying science.

[00:09:50]
Ben Newsome: Oh, it’s huge. And actually we did an episode a couple of months ago now on National Youth Science Forum just two alumni from that. It sounds like it’s just fantastic and I know that you’ve got this big, big thing coming up in the next month where literally 600 people’s a lot of people to organise and I imagine that Amanda Caldwell and Damian Pearce would be very busy right now making sure it’s all ready to go.

[00:10:13]
Siân Keys: Yeah, we’re all very busy, but you know, that’s why we do it. It’s when all of the students arrive and they see what actually happens in the NYSF, it all pays off. They just love it so much and that’s what makes it worth it.

[00:10:29]
Ben Newsome: Ah, it’s cool. So I mean just out of interest, I mean obviously you’re involved with Scienceability. Where do you think you might take it?

[00:10:38]
Siân Keys: Look, that’s a really great question. There are just so many options. So working out exactly what I want to do with it is what’s actually on the plans for me over the next few months. I’d love to make it a full-blown organisation in Canberra, reach some wider audiences, start taking it into schools, maybe making a weekend programme for people who work during the week.

[00:11:08]
Siân Keys: And then, you know, one day maybe taking it around Australia. It’d be great to take it outside of Canberra because there are so many other great places it could go to.

[00:11:18]
Ben Newsome: I’ve got this funny feeling that’s exactly what’s going to happen in some way. It’ll start off small and get bigger and bigger and bigger. You never know with these things go. Just out of interest, like the presenters themselves, what was their favourite age group to teach?

[00:11:36]
Siân Keys: Well, so for the programme that we ran in National Science Week, it was actually only for young adults, so for people over the age of 18. But when we ran it when they presented to the public, we had anyone from little babies to quite elderly people coming. But I think what they really enjoyed was the variety. I didn’t actually hear any of them say that they preferred one age group over the other, but seeing some of the little kids learning different areas of science from them, playing with rotocopters, playing with slime, all kinds of things. I think that really made the event.

[00:12:20]
Ben Newsome: Absolutely so seeing that. I reckon that 2017 as it comes to a close, it very much was the year of slime. It really was. I mean I’m really enjoying it actually because when you go out to schools, I’m really enjoying the fact that the students know, well, frankly a lot more than you do.

[00:12:39]
Siân Keys: Yeah, it’s absolutely fantastic. And what I do love is also being able to change the perception of what science is because, you know, there are a lot of people who think of science as slime and while there is, you know, a lot of science in slime, there is a lot of other science as well. And so while that was one of the things we did, we also did a lot of things, a lot of experiments that wouldn’t actually be seen as sciencey at all, and that was what was really exciting.

[00:13:12]
Ben Newsome: Hey, just out of interest, if you had to, I don’t know, drop everything, run away from the microphone and you had to run a lesson in a half hour or so and you had the materials on hand, what’s your favourite go-to thing that you go, you know what, I know audiences love this? What’s your favourite science experiment?

[00:13:31]
Siân Keys: That’s a fantastic question. I think some of the best science experiments are the ones that you don’t know what’s going to come until it happens. So, I love experiments like there’s a can crush you can do where you have a Coke can, and this is don’t try this at home, you can get a Coke can and put a tiny, tiny bit of water in the bottom and evaporate it until everything inside is very, very hot and then you can turn it upside down into a plate of very cold water and the can will crumple inside because of the change of pressure.

[00:14:17]
Siân Keys: That one is fantastic because it is just so unexpected. But the other science experiments I really, really love are the ones that anyone can do at home. So quite different to that one. The ones that all you need are things that you can get from a supermarket, things that you can get from Bunnings, things that you can find around your house because that to me is the true importance of science, that anyone can do it. So whether it’s making rotocopters, whether it’s testing the capillary action of water, there are so many things that you can do at home and I think that’s what’s really valuable.

[00:14:51]
Ben Newsome: It comes down to the critical thinking and I do know that experiment with the Coke cans, it’s brilliantly done. Actually I remember seeing that with I think it was a physics teacher a long time ago showed me how they were doing it with not quite the aluminium cans, they were doing it with small drums. And that is a definite don’t do that at home but I tell you what, that made a bang.

[00:15:12]
Siân Keys: I bet it did. There was a video on the internet a couple of years ago about it happening to a large truck as well that had been sitting out in the sun for too long. That one was quite scary.

[00:15:23]
Ben Newsome: Oh wow, that’s some homework for everyone. I’ve not seen that one, that’s awesome. Slash don’t be inside.

[00:15:30]
Siân Keys: Definitely.

[00:15:31]
Ben Newsome: Oh wow, that’s insane. Actually it comes down to it actually when you think about like what’s out there on YouTube, there’s so much out there and knowing what is repeatable and what shouldn’t be repeated is just as much about what science literacy is about sometimes.

[00:15:46]
Siân Keys: That’s very true.

[00:15:48]
Ben Newsome: Absolutely. Hey look, there’ll undoubtedly be people who’d love to know how they could gather a troupe together and start doing stuff in their own localities. I mean what would be some advice that you’d like to give?

[00:16:02]
Siân Keys: Well, I guess the real advice is that if you’re passionate about it then you should do it and that science is out there and it’s accessible and anyone can take part. So you know, look up what’s available in your area, start finding resources, go out there and do it because I think that’s what’s really important, just getting started.

[00:16:26]
Ben Newsome: Just do it. Maybe you need like a little Nike swoosh underneath the Scienceability logo.

[00:16:32]
Siân Keys: Yeah, exactly, just do it.

[00:16:33]
Ben Newsome: I love it, that’s awesome. Hey look, and that actually brings up the point, how can people get in touch with Scienceability?

[00:16:38]
Siân Keys: We have a very active Facebook page when we are running, so definitely look at Scienceability on Facebook. We are the page that has the little conical flask as the logo. And yeah, send us a Facebook message or get in touch, like the page, we’d love to hear from you.

[00:17:01]
Ben Newsome: Absolutely and that’s Scienceability all one word and CBR. Just out of interest, what’s the CBR stand for?

[00:17:07]
Siân Keys: So we’re based out of Canberra, so that’s the shortening for Canberra.

[00:17:11]
Ben Newsome: You’d think I would have really realised, but I’m not that bright. But there you go. So yeah definitely check that out because I really truly believe that this particular programme will get going and hopefully well beyond National Science Week which is undoubtedly a great focal point in August but seeing that going out into schools and community groups and whatever, it’s really cool. And I think you’ve really started something which will go. And by the way, congratulations on your own personal nomination coming up very soon. You don’t know?

[00:17:41]
Siân Keys: Thank you. Yes, so last month I think it was I had been up for ACT Young Australian of the Year which was very exciting. I didn’t win that but that was okay because the guy who did win it was absolutely fantastic. But later this week are the ACT Inclusion Awards which I’m also up for. So it’s been very exciting and it’s fantastic just to be nominated and to be seen against all these other people doing so much good.

[00:18:11]
Ben Newsome: That’s it, those Inclusion Awards. I’m really hoping that really goes well and yeah, and of course by the way, well done just being nominated amongst all these hundreds of thousands of people who are doing really, really cool stuff right across Australia. To be nominated as a Young Australian of the Year is just fantastic as well. I mean what a year. It’s very cool.

[00:18:28]
Siân Keys: It’s definitely been a very busy year but it’s been fantastic.

[00:18:32]
Ben Newsome: Nah, brilliant. Well, thank you very much, Siân Keys, for jumping on the podcast and, look, all the best as you draw down to a close this year and, hopefully, next year we’ll see you and all the crew running around ACT and beyond.

[00:19:04]
Siân Keys: Let’s hope so.

[00:19:06]
Announcer: Hi guys. Looking for more science with an Australian twist? Well, you’re in luck because here at Fizzics we’re launching a fresh take on science in the upcoming podcast, Physics Twist. Get up to speed on the latest science and tech news where we look at what these discoveries might mean for all of us. Powered by the Fizzics Education team, Physics Twist highlights the most interesting and sometimes the funniest side of what’s happening in our world. We’re kicking off in a few weeks, so stay tuned. See you then.

[00:19:33]
Ben Newsome: Well, there you go. We were speaking with Siân Keys, this fantastic person who’s running a fantastic initiative. How cool would it be if Scienceability breaks out of Canberra and goes right across Australia? Or even better, wouldn’t it be awesome if different cities around the globe start doing what Siân Keys has sparked here in Australia?

[00:19:55]
Ben Newsome: You see, it’s all about showing that science can be everywhere and science doesn’t have to be for one particular section of the public, and she is very much doing that. Now, a person who’s also doing that is our last guest, Marc Wileman, who’s been all about doing science parties.

[00:20:02]
Marc Wileman: You can make it really, really fun. You can make it engaging. The kids can have an awesome time, but they can also leave saying that they want to be scientists. So with that perspective little shift towards thinking of science in a better way and having a more positive opinion on science.

[00:20:17]
Announcer: This is the Fizzics Ed Podcast. We’re all about science, ed tech and more. To see 100 fun free experiments you can do with your class, go to fizzicseducation.com.au. That’s physics spelled F I Z Z I C S and click 100 free experiments.

[00:20:36]
Ben Newsome: Yes, I couldn’t agree more with Mark. And certainly, science parties are a really great way of getting kids into science. Trust us, we run hundreds every year and believe me, our teachers here have a blast doing it too, let alone the kids. But it’s very much about showing that science isn’t just in the lab, it’s everywhere.

[00:20:55]
Ben Newsome: It’s just a procedural way, a logical way of looking at the world and exploring it, and it’s so much fun. So make your science lessons fun, make your science classrooms, your museums, or wherever you happen to be working at, make them awesome as much as possible. Anyway, you’ve been listening to me, Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education, and I will catch you next week for another great episode. All the best.

[00:21:12]
Announcer: You’ve been listening to another Fizzics Ed Podcast. We’re excited about science. Subscribe to us on iTunes to download the next episode as soon as it’s released. And don’t forget, for hundreds of ideas, free experiments, our new Be Amazing book and more, go to fizzicseducation.com.au. That’s physics spelled F I Z Z I C S.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Scienceability programme?
Scienceability is an initiative founded by Siân Keys that facilitates hands-on science and engineering workshops specifically designed for people with intellectual disabilities. The programme aims to make science accessible and inclusive, providing a space where participants can explore scientific concepts in an engaging environment.

What was the inspiration behind starting Scienceability?
Siân was inspired by her younger brother, who has Down Syndrome. She noticed that while there were many inclusive programmes available in the arts and sports, there were very few opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to engage with science. She wanted to create a programme that fulfilled her brother’s dream of “doing science” just like his sister.

How does Scienceability challenge stereotypes in the community?
The programme empowers participants with intellectual disabilities to move beyond the role of a student and become the teacher. During National Science Week, participants ran their own workshops for the general public in Canberra, demonstrating that anyone can lead and communicate scientific ideas regardless of their abilities.

What types of experiments are performed in these workshops?
The workshops cover diverse themes, including the “Science of Colour” through rainbow milk experiments, the “Science of Flight” using rotocopters, and “Engineering” through the creation of scribblebots. The experiments are designed to be tactile, visual, and impactful.

How can people get involved or support Scienceability?
The organisation maintains an active presence on Facebook, which serves as the primary contact point for schools, community groups, and individuals interested in participating or hosting a workshop. The programme seeks to expand its reach beyond Canberra to other parts of Australia.

Extra thought ideas to consider

The Power of Inclusive Science Communication
Consider the impact of shifting the role of people with disabilities from passive observers to active presenters. When participants with intellectual disabilities lead workshops for the general public, it does more than just teach a scientific concept; it actively dismantles social exclusion and reshapes the public’s understanding of intellectual capacity and expertise.

Accessibility through Everyday Materials
The interview highlights that some of the best science experiments use simple items found at the supermarket or a hardware store. Reflect on how removing the barrier of “specialised equipment” makes science feel more attainable for everyone. This “at-home” accessibility is a crucial component of science literacy, allowing the learning to continue long after a formal workshop has ended.

Scaling Grassroots Initiatives
Scienceability started as a local Canberra project funded by a National Science Week grant. Think about the challenges and opportunities involved in scaling such a niche programme to a national or global level. How can science educators ensure that inclusivity remains the core focus when a programme grows from a small troupe to a larger organisation?