Science Communication
Keynote Speeches
The missing 96 percent of the universe
Indira Gandhi wrote, “The power to question is the basis of all human progress.” Particle physicist Claire Malone will illuminate how—despite scientists hitting some "major snags"—questioning our fundamental understanding of nature invites a different, more meaningful perspective universally, proving that enlightenment comes from asking questions, pushing boundaries, and thinking differently.
RSA Conference, San Francisco, USA, April 2023
Talks Delivered
Confessions of a Science Communicator
In this talk, I discuss the many benefits to researchers of being active science communicators - for themselves, for the wider scientific community and for society as a whole. I share my own journey as a science communicator, initially speaking at conferences aimed at raising the profile of underrepresented groups in science such as the LGBT+ and disabled communities, through to delivering my TED talk at Abbey Road Studios. I now focus on overcoming the challenges that often prevent effective science communication and assisting fellow scientists to do the same, taking the field of psychedelic medicine as a case study, where researchers can need to counteract entrenched biases in order to share their findings.
University of Leeds, March 2024
Imperial College London, November 2023
Churchill College, University of Cambridge, October 2023
Trust Me, I'm an AI!
The public being able to trust sources is an essential part of effective science communication. In this talk, I explore how generative AI is shifting the science communication landscape for better or worse.
UK Science Festivals Network Conference , January 2024
From Gluons to Klingons
Join me on a grand tour of the known and unknown parts of the Universe in terms of its fundamental constituents.... encountering a few very cheesy Star Trek analogies along the way!
Sunday Assembly London, April 2022
From SCT Lumi to Compressed SUSY
This talk covers both the improvements of luminosity measurements of pp collisions at ATLAS, underpinning all measurements made by the detector and a search for one of the most theoretically viable extensions to the SM: supersymmetry.
ATLAS uses mainly event-counting algorithms to measure luminosity, which break down at higher luminosities. If the ATLAS SCT (part of the ATLAS inner detector) can be employed as a luminometer using hit-counting algorithms, this issue may be mitigated. I will show that the SCT can feasibly operate as a luminometer when recording two-or-more strip clusters with the standard binary readout mode. Thus, the SCT can measure the luminosity with an accuracy within 10% of two of ATLAS’s existing luminometers: LUCID and TileCal.
Cavendish Lab, University of Cambridge, March 2022
New Physics, New Technologies, and New Perspectives: Search for the missing 96% of the Universe
We've misplaced the building blocks of the cosmos - and particle physicists like Claire Malone are on a mission to find them with the aid of the ATLAS detector at CERN. However, as she explains, some of the most crucial measurements performed by this ground breaking experiment are enhanced by thinking laterally about the technologies we have available to us. She draws analogies between her research into this subject and how she has also had to use a wide range of technologies to adapt how she accesses her research due to her physical disability.
Financial Services Club Webinar, December 2021
Fixing the Standard Model: Pairing off Particles
Join me on a grand tour of the known and unknown parts of the Universe in terms of its fundamental constituents.... encountering a few very cheesy Star Trek analogies along the way!
Sunday Assembly San Diego (online), November 2021
Sunday Assembly Atlanta, October 2021
Science in Action: Can we avoid a climate catastrophe?
Just a few days before COP26 opens in Glasgow, the World Meteorological Organisation reported record greenhouse gas levels, despite a fall in CO2 due to pandemic restrictions. The UN Environment Programme’s Emissions Gap Report also revealed that current country pledges will only take 7.5% off predicted greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, well below the 55% needed to limit global warming to 1.5C. Worse still, many large emission producers are not on track to meet their countries’ pledges.
Rachel Warren, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, tells us the 1.5C limit is still achievable if we work in tandem with nature. Research by Sara Mikaloff-Fletcher, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), illustrates this. Her contribution to the WMO Greenhouse Bulletin revealed that New Zealand’s indigenous forests play a bigger role in absorbing carbon from the atmosphere than previously thought.
Also on the programme, Abinash Mohanty, Council on Energy, Environment and Water, has been mapping climate vulnerability in India and explains why communities should be at the forefront of climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. And particle physicist Claire Malone shares her insights on how we can help women thrive in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
BBC World Service, October 2021
The missing 96 percent of the universe
We've misplaced the building blocks of the cosmos -- and particle physicists like Claire Malone are on a mission to find them. Despite scientists hitting a "major snag" in uncovering what exactly makes up dark matter and dark energy, she explains how questioning our fundamental understanding of nature itself invites a different, more meaningful perspective universally.
TED Talk, May 2021
From Chemistry Labs to Chocolate Shops
Join me on a grand tour of the known and unknown parts of the Universe in terms of its fundamental constituents.... including an exclusive view of the life at a researcher at CERN
Winston Society of Clare College, February 2020
Cavendish Inspiring Women, February 2019
Articles and Blog Posts Published
Applications of quantum mechanics at the beach
How does sunscreen work on the atomic level?
Symmetry Magazine, August 2023
A cosmological headache
For over a century, scientists have wondered what is counteracting the force of gravity in the universe.
Symmetry Magazine, June 2023
How better science communication can benefit everyone
Claire Malone says that both physicists and the public benefit if researchers make science communication central to their day-to-day activities
Physics World, September 2022
Towards a standardized dialogue: Psilocybin-containing mushroom dosing conversation
The burgeoning entheogenic movement, emboldened by the promising results of psychedelic research, faces a myriad of questions and challenges as it strides towards mainstream acceptance. Central to these challenges is the conversation around dosing, especially concerning psilocybin-containing mushrooms. This post endeavors to delve into potential trajectories this conversation might take, underpinned by three hot takes that beckon a shift from conventional paradigms to more precise and scientifically grounded narratives.
in collaboration with Ian Bollinger of Critical Consulting, October 2023
Earthsong: Science-inspired poetry against climate change at the Great Exhibition Road Festival
Climate change is undoubtedly one of the most pressing scientific and technological challenges of our time. However, at the centre of many of the solutions to this global problem are people – our attitudes and behaviours.
Poetry is able to convey and emphasise messages that, even though we can be presented with them in “black and white”, only really hit home in the form of rhyme and verse.
Poets for the Planet, October 2021
Interviews
How OpenAI’s text-to-video tool Sora could change science – and society
By Jonathan O'Callaghan
OpenAI’s debut of its impressive Sora text-to-video tool has raised important questions.
Nature News, March 2024
Inclusive Psychedelic Research Practices
Claire joins us today to talk about their work to create more democratized research and communication systems in the psychedelic science research community.