Science, science on the wall

Science murals, interesting links, and a conversation with a Nobel Laureate

Let’s talk about walls. Specifically, murals. Even more specifically, science murals.

In October 2020 I took a wrong bus and walked across the Girdlestone Estate in North London. Here, in between the buildings, only visible to the residents and local community, was a mural of lichens. It was unexpected and very cool to suddenly see some science art where I wasn’t expecting it at all! 

Lichen mural by Bryony Benge-Abbott, photographed by me on the Girdlestone Estate in London, 2020

That particular mural was created by Bryony Benge-Abbott who is featured in The Voice this week, in an article about her art and influences. 

It got me thinking about other science murals. Here’s a photo of a mural I took a few years ago, at EPFL in Lausanne. It’s a quote by Rosalind Franklin, and part of a much larger mural with lots of scientific phrases and formulas.

Mural at EPFL, photographed by me in 2019

Do you know of any other fun science murals? Let me know in the comments!

Interesting links

• Paint made from egg yolk has been used for thousands of years, but scientists are still trying to unravel many of its properties. Vaguely Easter-themed Forbes piece by me. 

• How poetry can help communicate science to a more diverse audience, by Sam Illingworth on The Conversation

• How are novelists incorporating the pandemic in their work? By Jaideep Unudurti for The Hindu

• Sound artist creates music from air pollution. News release by University of Birmingham about Robert Jarvis.

• Interview with mathematics graduate student Joe Breen, who sings about math on his YouTube channel (article by Kevin Lin for the Daily Bruin)

Talking science and creativity with Joachim Frank

I’m hosting a new podcast for scientists called Cryo-Talk, all about cryo-electron microscopy, for Bitesize Bio and Thermo Fisher. I know that’s not the field most of you are working in, but the conversations with guests are quite broad, and I think you might like this interview I did with Joachim Frank in which he talks about creativity in science and writing novels, among other things. 

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