Quenching a thirst for knowledge

A new festival promises punters in Manawatu¯ the chance to pull up a chair and grab a pint, while scientists spin a yarn in an attempt to quench their thirst for knowledge.

The Pint of Science festival is the world’s largest series of public science talks. Each May the three-day festival brings some of the world’s smartest scientists into pubs in more than 300 cities around the world for a plainspoken discussion of the latest scientific discoveries.

Central Economic Development Agency events senior manager Tess Lyons said securing the award-winning festival was a prestigious win for Palmerston North, and an excellent chance to promote Manawatu¯ researchers and companies to the world.

The Palmerston North Pint of Science event will be the first time the festival has come to New Zealand.

The festival was founded in 2012 by two UK research scientists, Praveen Paul and Michael Motskin. Motskin said facts can often get lost in translation between scientific jargon and every-day language, fuelling the spread of pseudo-science myths and misunderstandings. ‘‘The best way to overcome this is for people to be able to talk to scientists directly in a familiar environment, such as in a pub over a pint.’’

CEDA estimated seminars, conferences, trade shows and related events, such as Pint of Science, brought $86.5 million a year into the Manawatu¯ economy.

And the festival was a chance to promote Manawatu¯ ’s research facilities and agri-tech companies to a global audience, Lyons said.

Brew Union’s Jules Grace and CEDA’S Tessa Lyons plan the Pint of Science Festival’s first New Zealand event next May, where scientists share their knowledge with punters together over a beer.