Falling Walls Engage Hub Greece
Connecting Greek and International Practitioners
The Falling Walls Engage Hub in Greece gathers Science Engagement practitioners and organisations in Greece and the Southern Europe region. The Hub Greece was launched in November 2021 with our partners from SciCo (Science Communication), a non-profit organisation focusing on scientific engagement and empowerment, through innovative, interactive, and entertaining means. SciCo was founded in 2008 by Theo Agnostopoulos, former Falling Walls Engage Winner (2018, 2019) and Finalist (2020, 2021), and current Manager of the Hub Greece.
Spotlight on Science Influencing
The Hub was launched on Tuesday 30 November 2021 through a community workshop and a special episode of Celebrity Science, live broadcast from Athens.
During the workshop, participants were invited to explore the topic of science influencing on social media. Speakers and participants discussed the role of influencers, the challenges and opportunities for online engagement and strategies to counteract misinformation.
Mr Andy Ridgway, Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at University of the West of England Bristol (UWE Bristol) offered an introductory keynote on the topic and stressed the importance of building trust with online communities. During the following fireside chat, participants were invited to discuss influencing practices with Stamos Archontis, a Greek science influencer also know as “The Mad Sc1ent1st". At the end of the session, participants worked on a group activity and perception game on the Science of Greek Food.
Celebrity Science goes International
Created and produced by the team of SciCo, Celebrity Science is a science show where a scientist and a media personality meet to explore timely scientific topics in a fun and entertaining format. With the objective of raising awareness on important science topics and engaging with broad audiences, the show has met with great success in Greece - covering topics such as genetics, cognitive bias and astronauts’ experiences in space.
As part of the Hub event, we invited artist Philip Golle and expert Patricia Villarrubia-Gómez for an international edition of the show to discuss the wicked problem of plastic pollution, under the title "Hula Hoop Meets Microplastics".
Patricia Villarrubia-Gómez, MSc, is a PhD candidate at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Sweden. Philip Golle is an international performer, hula hoop artist and co-host of the scientific variety show Glitzern & Denken at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin in Germany.