In November 2019, ALPHA postdocs Mark Johnson and Muhammed Sameed took part in “I’m A Scientist… Get Me Out of Here!”, an online event promoting physics and STEM (= science, technology, engineering, mathematic) subjects to school students from across the UK. Over the course of two weeks, scientists from a wide range of backgrounds – from psychology to particle physics - engaged with over 4,300 school students through fast-paced, lively online chats.

In the electromagnetic and nuclear zones, ALPHA researchers took on students’ questions about everything from the big bang to their favourite pizza toppings, what inspired them to study physics, and what a typical day at CERN is like. The event was a great opportunity to highlight the most exciting aspects of STEM careers to students who may have never spoken with a ‘real’ scientist before. It was particularly rewarding to interact with students in real time and see many of them take a genuine interest in ALPHA’s activities and physics in general.

During the second week of the event students could vote for their favourite scientists, and the participant with the fewest votes was “eliminated” each afternoon. Both Mark and Sameed were lucky enough to be chosen as finalists in their respective zones, ultimately winning £500 to organise further outreach events for UK secondary schools.

I’m A Scientist… Get Me Out of Here organise virtual outreach events for UK school students throughout the year, and anyone with a scientific background is definitely encouraged to get involved with one of their upcoming events!

More details: I'm a Scientist... Get Me Out Of Here