Frances Ryan takes the stage
Hot on the heels of fellow Edinburgh Fringe performer Clare Taylor, last night it was the turn of Edinburgh Napier University research student Frances Ryan to step up to the microphone. Frances delivered an invited presentation at The Banshee Labyrinth (fringe venue 156) under the banner of the Edinburgh Skeptics.
Clare, Pam, and Susan on stage in the yurt (photo credit Jo Young)
Last Thursday Edinburgh Napier University microbiologist Dr Clare Taylor and her co-presenter Dr Pam Cameron (NovoScience) welcomed a sell-out audience to the yurt in Edinburgh’s St Andrew Square at their Fringe show Women! Science is not for you! Over the course of an hour they highlighted evidence to show how the gender balance in science careers shifts in the favour of men the further you look up the career ladder. They discussed the reasons for this, considered whether or not this is a problem, and debated possible strategies to bring about change. A key question is how to stem the flow of wasted talent that escapes from the “leaky pipeline” of women in science, as identified in the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Tapping all our talents report of 2012.
The Edinburgh festivals are now well underway in Scotland’s capital city. I love this time of year, and try to fit in as many shows as possible around my work commitments. One week into the Fringe I have already seen ten shows, and I have plenty of tickets for several more between now and 25th August. I am particularly looking forward to two performances, both of which are highly relevant to my work at Edinburgh Napier University.
Hazel Hall 