Science and Art Intertwine - The Myths, Morphs and Memes events offer people opportunities to take part in a host of interesting and intriguing activities.
In 2012 we engaged children (8 years plus) in storytelling and art activities at Brighton Library on 15th February 2.30pm to 4.30pm. Our focus was on the Norse Creation legend.
We were also at the Brighton Science Festival Big Science Saturday 25th March at University of Brighton 10 am to 6pm where we offered adults the chance to take part in cultural transmission experiments.
We will be running more events at venues across Brighton in the next few months.
Myths - As a psychologist I want to explore the social influences on people’s behaviour. Recently my work with Swedish researchers on cultural evolution has led to questions about the content of stories that we pass on across generations. Why are some elements of a story passed on while others are forgotten?
Morphs - It is not just scientists who are interested in the transmission of information. Artist Rachel Cohen explores questions about natural selection and evolution in her Chinese whispers drawing project. What is it we choose to copy and what do we discard?
Artist Pat Thornton is interested in how people map and track – how do we represent our location and movement on paper?
Memes - Our Myths, Morphs and Memes events last year were fun social occasions; in addition to the storytelling and drawing experiments we offered people the opportunity to play games on iPads, explore games with hidden rules, write their own urban myth, and play a game of ‘social solitaire’. At previous events my colleague, Dr. Nicola Yuill, from the University of Sussex ChaTLab joined us with her game of consequences on iPads.
Previous Events
We ran three Myths Morphs and Memes events at Circus Circus, Brighton in 2010. These were well attended, fun events. In 2011 we ran some events at the Pub with No Name, top of Southover Street, Brighton UK. Both artists and scientists attended these events. On 5th March 2011, we ran some highly successful activities including (1) the culural transmission of stories (2) the natural selection of drawings and (3) the graphic perceptions of location and movement, for the Brighton Science Festival’s Big Science Saturday.
15th February 2.30pm to 4.30pm - Myths, Morphs and Memes at Brighton Library as part of the Brighton Science Festival (children 8 years plus)
25th February 10am to 6pm - Myths, Morphs and Memes at Brighton Science Festival's Big Science Saturday at the University of Brighton
