Meet the finalists

Nick Dickens | Nicholas Harrigan | Philip Jess | Caroline Johnson
Marieke Navin | Jan Schnupp | Peter Zeidman | Reserves

Peter Zeidman, Cardiff Heat Winner

Peter is currently at Birmingham University reading for an MSc in Natural Computation - that basically involves designing computer software inspired by processes in nature, such as natural selection.

How did you come up with your chosen subject matter at the FameLab heats?

In the first heat I talked about my current research in psychology – it's pretty inter-disciplinary, so I thought it would appeal.

Did your presentation go according to plan?

Not exactly! In the regional heat you make two speeches. After the first speech, the judges told me I needed to be less formal and give more of a personal perspective. So I scrapped my well-prepared second speech, took off suit jacket and did something unrelated off the top of my head – it went down well!

Please tell us what you feel your key skills are as a science communicator and why the public might respond well to you

I want to show people that anybody can understand scientific concepts, providing they're explained properly. I believe I have the energy to make science exciting and open to all without being patronising!

How did you get interested in science?

I grew up reading Douglas Adams, Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov – they really inspired me to get into science. I think Arthur C. Clarke described the importance of science fiction and imagination when he wrote “the only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible”. In addition, my father is a pharmacist and always encouraged me to understand science – he wouldn't allow me to shake a ketchup bottle without explaining the science of why shaking it makes it easier to pour!

What do you do currently?

I am a post-graduate student at Birmingham University (School of Computer Science), reading for a masters in Natural Computation. That's all about taking inspiration from nature to make computers more intelligent. At the moment I'm publishing a paper on how our brains give us a sense of direction - we all have an in-built “compass” that uses what we see and feel to help us find our way.

Why does science excite and inspire you?

One of our most basic instincts is the desire to explore the world around us, and science is a process for doing that. Those big, sexy questions – who are we? How did we evolve? Why do we see the world as we do? Slowly chipping away at these big mysteries inspires me, and I hope I can inspire others too.

To date, what has been your most exciting scientific moment (other than being a FameLab finalist of course!)

I think going to my first scientific conference was my most exciting moment thus far. For the first time I saw what's possible when academics from different but complementary fields get together and start discussing their work.

Who are your favourite science communicators and why?

I grew up watching The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures – they're great for inspiring children (although I'm still not too old for them!). I would always watch Tomorrow's World – it was very sad when that came to end. I think some of the best science communication today comes from the radio. I was inspired to move towards psychology by Vilayanur Ramachandran, who gave The Reith Lectures in 2003. Clearly, David Attenborough, Adam Hart-Davis, Kathy Sykes and others do a great job on TV and make fantastic  programmes for scientists and non-scientists alike!

What are your ambitions for the future? Would winning FameLab have any impact on your plans?

I am coming toward the end of my Masters degree, and so am now choosing between a life in academia, industry, or perhaps a combination of the two! I love communicating science, and whatever I do in the future, I want this to be a part of it. Winning FameLab would therefore have a huge impact on my plans!