Hi everyone, Maisie here. This post is a little different today, more artistic and colourful than usual!
Over the past few months I have become engrossed in the art of embroidery. I think a combination of Bridgerton and exam procrastination made me pick up a needle and embroidery hoop!
I have even opened my own Etsy sop, it is called StemStitchesByMaisie. You can have a look at the shopHERE.
I have many artistic family members but from a very young age I have so many memories of my grandma’s art and needlework. She had a whole sewing room in her old house full of needles, beads and rolls of fabric! So maybe you could say she has been my inspiration for this little embroidery journey I have been venturing on!
I started off with a small embroidery set that I bought online which included a pattern on pre-cut fabric and all the thread and needles needed for the design. If you are interested in trying out embroidery I would highly recommend this approach as it teaches you how to do different stitches and you don’t have to think too much about what you are doing because all the lines and designs are there for you to follow.
I have found that having a creative outlet really helped me throughout the summer exam period to battle with the high level of stress I was feeling. I like having structure to my day and after a jam packed revision schedule I loved just putting me feet up and spending an hour or two with my embroidery hoop and threads.
Once I properly got the hang of embroidery I decided I wanted to create some pieces that are STEM related, I had no specific plan but the above images are a small selection of the designs I ended up creating.
Once I got in the swing of things I even created my own Pinterest board to collate embroidery ideas and STEM related content that I thought would come out well.
I love a good pun so many of my designs contain STEM jokes which I really enjoy making. The text was a little difficult to master but now I absolutely love creating simple but effective, funny STEM embroidery!
Here are a few more of the pun designs I made, I love the bright colours and chunky text. I took these pictures in front of some flowers just for even more vibrance. I am trying to create designs with a range of subjects, most of them so far have been specifically science related so I need to create some more technology, engineering and maths related ones. (If you have any ideas just comment them below or message me on Instagram!)
I would really appreciate it if you could visit my Etsy shop (StemStitchesByMaisie)and have a little scroll through my different pieces! I also have an Instagram page you can find HEREif you would like to see what new designs I have made.
Also if there are any designs you would specifically like, I am sure I could make a personalised design just for you!
Who knew that STEM and sewing would be the crossover activity I needed in my life?!
Have you found a new hobby recently? Let me know in the comments!
Maisie
2 Sisters in STEM
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Hi! It’s Lily here and I’m back again with a few thoughts on how I have found the past year working from home.
I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since I picked my monitor up off my desk and left the office for the last time! In some ways it feels like a long time ago, so much has changed workwise, I’ve changed job role twice completely remotely. But in another way it feels like it’s been 5 minutes with the repetitive nature of ground hog day very much in full swing especially at the moment with the current lockdown in the UK stretching on!
I am so lucky to have been able to continue working from home throughout lockdown – but there have been challenges and it’s been a bit of a journey at times, let’s get into it!
So how have I found the last year?
Looking back really gives me the space to see how much I have learnt over the past year. I recently moved into my third and final rotation of my technology graduate scheme, so this is now the third team I have worked with whilst working from home.
It has been really challenging moving into new teams completely virtually. Last July I moved into my second rotation, and I moved out of that team at the beginning of March this year so I never actually got to meet any of them face to face.
One thing I find very overwhelming is initial meetings and trying to make good first impressions. Having cameras on in calls definitely helps but it is still not the same as meeting someone for the first time in person! I can get so anxious about calls and meetings when working from home that just wouldn’t bother me face to face.
In general working virtually hasn’t been too different to working in the office for me. I have a good desk set up and am able to access all the systems, devices and software I need as I would do in the office.
However, I definitely tend to overthink things and I feel working from home can be dangerous for this. On anxious days I can overthink messages and emails I send to the point of insanity, again something that doesn’t happen in the office. And I definitely get into my own head more – spending long stretches of time on my own with just my computer for company!
The lines between working and not working can definitely get blurred too! One of the reasons I haven’t been writing a lot on the blog lately is that I have really been trying to only work and look at my laptop during work hours and try, as much as possible, to have laptop free evenings!
As I’m doing the graduate scheme I am doing a lot of learning and personal development at the moment too. I love learning but it can be difficult to know when to stop as it doesn’t feel like I’m ‘working’ in the traditional sense. This means I tend to get carried away into the evening. I am trying to set these boundaries and be a bit stricter with myself otherwise I know I will burn myself out!
Another big change during the last year is that I bought and moved into a new house! This has been a bit of a life saver in terms of keeping me away from screens as I’ve been doing lots of DIY bits. I love having small painting and DIY projects around the house, it is definitely coming together now – and is feeling more and more like home. However it was incredibly stressful for a while and difficult to balance the house admin with my job and my learning! Thankfully I’m pretty much out the other side of all that now and I have my new working from home desk set up all sorted and have been really enjoying it!
How have I stayed motivated?
With working from home not looking like it’s going anywhere anytime soon here are few things I have been doing to stay motivated through this monotonous and tricky time:
lots of cups of tea (over lockdown I have collected an embarrassingly large selection to choose from).
mixing up where I work from – desk, dining table, comfy chair, spare room (sometimes I need a change of scene so all the days don’t blur together quite so much).
taking breaks away from the screen and getting outside – I now have my very own little garden and have been loving stepping away from the computer taking a drink out there and just having a few minutes in the sunshine.
using notion to make lists and keep myself accountable – I have been loving using the website notion to keep track of my training and learning, creating to-do lists and writing up my notes (it is great for making coding related notes especially!).
If you are currently working or studying from home, how do you stay motivated? What are your working from home hacks?
Thanks so much for reading!
Lily
2 Sisters in STEM
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Hi Lily again, and I am back with a STEM scribble!
Today we are looking out to the Solar System for some astrophysics facts!
Of the 8 planets that orbit the sun Venus is a bit of an anomaly, and today we will find out why! Keep reading to find out more…
Did you know that Venus spins the wrong way round?
Now firstly here are a few things to know about the planets:
times.tutorials.co.uk
There are 8 planets in our solar system
From the Sun going outward they are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
All the planets orbits around the Sun in the same direction and in a similar shaped path, a squashed circle called an ellipse
All the planets (apart from Venus and Uranus – we’ll come back to them later) spin in the same direction as the sun spins on their own axis
And we think at the beginning of the Solar System all the planets were spinning in this same direction, as they formed from a collapsing and spinning cloud of gas – and they kept spinning in that same direction
So why does Venus spin the other way and what are the consequences?
on Venus the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east
one theory is that Venus used to spin in the same direction as the other planets, but at some point it flipped it’s axis 180 degrees
so it actually still spins in the direction it always has just upside down!
it may have flipped due to very strong atmospheric tides caused by the planet’s very dense atmosphere
another theory is that in fact it didn’t flip and that at some point it stopped spinning and then when it started again in the other direction
this might explain why Venus has such a slow rotation speed, it spins once every 243 days compared to every 24 hours here on Earth!
unfortunately we don’t know for sure what happened there isn’t a solid answer! This is a mystery still waiting for astronomers to solve!
As I mentioned earlier actually Uranus also spins differently to the other planets too! It is tilted just over 90 degrees so it kind of spins on it’s side. The theory behind this is that it was hit a number of times by large objects which knocked it over!
Hi! It’s Lily again – and today I am going to be talking all about Science Communication or Sci Comm for short.
What is Science Communication? Who are Science Communicators? And crucially why is Science Communication important?
Keep reading to find out more …
What is Science Communication?
Science Communication is the practice of communicating science-related topics to non-experts. This often encompasses the communication of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) topics which we have discussed before.
The communication of science can take many forms, from written articles in newspapers, magazines and blogs to standing in front of a non-expert audience to give a lecture or leading an interactive science workshop for children.
Sometimes science communication is known by other terms such as:
Public Engagement – this usually aims to engage the general public in two-way scientific conversations, about shared issues and problems, to hopefully benefit society as a whole.
Outreach – these activities are usually seen as public lectures, activities and workshops to encourage the public understanding of science and scientific research and are also often used to encourage school children to take up STEM study in higher education.
Science communication is so varied and vast in what it encapsulates …
What is the history of Science Communication in the UK?
In the UK Science Communication came to prominence in the 1980s. The scientific community was concerned that Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government had adopted a policy for scientific research that prioritised projects with quick-rewards over those of a more fundamental, ‘pure science’ nature.
It was felt this short-term approach was due to a failure of politicians and the wider public to understand STEM. More ‘public understanding of science’ was needed. So in 1985 the Royal Society published a report on ‘The Public Understanding of Science’, referred to as the Bodmer Report.
This report was pivotal, firstly it stated that scientists should consider it their duty to communicate to others about their work and its importance. Bodmer led to the creation of the Committee on Public Understanding of Science (COPUS), which organised funding schemes for Science Communication activities. Handing out prizes for new initiatives including ‘popular science’ books—of which there followed quite a boom, led by Stephen Hawking’s 1988 Brief History of Time.
In 1989, John Durant (the first UK Professor of Public Understanding of Science at Imperial College), Geoffrey Evans and Geoffrey Thomas published the first major survey of public understanding of science in the UK. They found high levels of interest, but that only 14% of British citizens could be called ‘scientifically literate’ according to tests of knowledge of scientific terms and processes.
Secondly Bodmer called for more science in the media, enthusiastically taken up by the BBC, which already had several TV and radio programs. Other broadcasters also increased their science offerings. Newspapers responded by appointing science journalists, correspondents and editors, and some introduced special science sections into their regular pages.
So who are Science Communicators?
There are many ways that you can be a Science Communicator:
Write as a science journalist at a national newspaper or magazine.
Work in a university press office to help promote the breakthrough stories from scientific research carried out by the academics.
Deliver science shows or organise events at science festivals, schools or science centres.
Design and make interactive exhibits for science centres.
Volunteer as a STEM Ambassador sharing your knowledge in schools and in the community.
I have been lucky enough to do lots of Science Communication from tours and workshops at science centres to volunteering at schools, to running coding clubs in youth centres and being a part of an incredible science festival! I love it, I find it so rewarding and could not recommend it enough!
I am particular passionate about inspiring more young women to pursue careers in STEM and getting young people excited and interested in STEM is a brilliant way to start!
So why is Science Communication important?
Some Science Communication can have a really powerful effect – take the success story that is Blue Planet II!
David Attenborough’s Blue Planet revolutionised the mindset of an entire nation. Millions of people in the UK were inspired and encouraged to change their habits. It managed to create real change in the way a nation thinks about single use plastics. It was reported that 88% of people who watched Blue Planet II changed their lifestyle in some way. Attitudes towards single-use bags, disposable plastic straws, and packaging will never be the same. According to research (by Waitrose), more than 60% of people use reusable water bottles more now than they did in 2017.
The Houses of Parliament announced a ban on single-use plastics and 60% of us also now more regularly use a refillable cup for takeaway coffee. With 66% of 18 to 24-year-olds saying they were more likely to choose a reusable cup when out. In supermarkets customers are also increasingly buying unpacked fruit and vegetables. Sales of loose pears, for example, are growing at 30 times the rate of bagged pears.
There is so much more to do but Science Communication can have real sweeping positive consequences across governmental policy and across society as a whole. Bringing important scientific issues to the forefront of people’s minds and leading to larger changes in habits and the way we live.
I believe excellent Science Communication like this, is important now more than ever in an age where we have an incredible amount of information at our fingertips all of the time. Unfortunately not all of it is factually accurate. The spread of misleading (and in some cases completely false) information is extremely prevalent.
The oversimplifying of scientific information is a very popular practice, otherwise known as “infotainment”, it focuses on describing new scientific discoveries in an entertaining fashion. This means important science is often sensationalised to get more views or findings are skewed or generalised to the extreme to make a good headline. The same goes for misleading graphs, stats and infographics and unfortunately, it is these that lend themselves beautifully to being widely circulated in the media. For example a study in Science found that fake news was 70% more likely to be retweeted than true news.
So we must continue to fight the barrage of misinformation and confusion with excellent, factually accurate and engaging Science Communication.
You can find out more about Science Communication and how to become a STEM Ambassador here.
Lily
2SistersInSTEM
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Hi there it’s Lily here! And today very excitingly we are starting a new series called STEM Scribbles!
We will be sharing incredible and intriguing STEM related facts and info accompanied by one of my little scribbles!
Both myself and Maisie are really passion about science, tech and engineering communication so we hope you enjoy this more SciCom related content!
So what interesting STEM related fact do we have for you today? – read on to find out!
Did you know that the Eiffel Tower grows a little in the summer – approximately 15cm?
When a substance is heated it expands due to a process called thermal expansion.
So in the hot sun materials can increase in size and then as the sun sets they can decrease in size.
When a material is heated, molecular activity increases and the energy stored in the bonds between atoms increases too. With the increase in stored energy, the length of molecular bonds also increases.
The ratio of expansion and change in temperature is known as the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material. More on exactly how to calculate it this can be found here and here.
Common engineering materials generally have a constant coefficient of thermal expansion so this expansion doesn’t need to be considered too much during construction.
However large structures are sometimes built with expansion joints to accommodate the expansion and reduction in size of materials due to change in temperature.
You can find out more information about the iconic and incredible feat of engineering that is the Eiffel Tower here.
Hello, Maisie here! Due to lockdown Lily and I have been living together for a while now, it’s been fab but sometimes I just need to be in my own zone. You will often find me with my headphones on listening to some form of media – podcasts, audio books or music.
So here I am again with a few more STEM related podcast recommendations! Grab a cup of tea and have a listen to these educational and funny podcasts. Hope you enjoy!
The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry
Hannah Fry, Adam Rutherford solving everyday mysteries with the power of science! I think I have a slight obsession with Dr Fry and Dr Rutherford, I love their humour and chemistry – it’s contagious!
Taking inspiration from Sherlock Holmes, they scientifically investigate queries and questions that are sent in by their listeners.
Episode Recommendation: ‘The Scarlet Mark‘
‘The scarlet mark’ is an episode from rather a long time ago…2016! The questions this episode revolves around are ‘does red hair skipping generations?’ and ‘is the ginger gene is dying out?’ – in essence this episode was all about gingers! When Adam Rutherford called ginger hair “an astonishing beacon of awesomeness” I myself (possessing the ginger beacon) knew I would love the episode!!
Historian Professor Kate Williams tells us a little of the historical background of redheads – for instance Shakespeare calling it the dissembling colour. Also Judas was never described as ginger in the bible but has been portrayed as being a redhead for many years – hence red hair was a sign of distrust.
Listen to The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry here
Encyclopedia Womannica
I love this quick, snappy and easily digestible podcast. Encyclopedia Womannica features short (often 5 – 10 minutes) episodes containing key information about incredible women. The series talks about the women we should have learnt about in school – from warriors to explorers and obviously women in STEM! This being a STEM blog I am obviously going to recommend the ‘STEMinist’ section of the series but there are loads of other interesting and inspirational women featured throughout this podcast!
The episode that first caught my eye was about Mathematician Emmy Noether, I have to admit I had not heard of Emmy prior to listening to this podcast.
She was one of only two women sitting in on her university classes at the time. In 1907 she received her PhD in mathematics, after she graduated Emmy worked at the Mathematical Institute of Erlangen for 7 years (unpaid!). She joined the Mathematical Institute in Göttingen and worked on theoretical algebra and general relativity, Emmy proved two theorems that are key in general relativity and particle physics.
Emmy was not allowed to be an official lecturer because she was a woman, however in 1919 Albert Einstein himself stepped in to advocate for Emmy and eventually she was allowed to lecture.
Wendy Zukerman hosts the ‘Science Vs’ podcast, this podcast investigates and discusses fads, myths and the big opinions behind them. Throughout the episodes Wendy discusses the topics with experts and tries to separate the fiction from hard science – Wendy is so enthusiastic and her podcast presence is excellent! I love the music that backs up each episode, it makes the half hour episodes fly by and you’ll be wanting to listen to another straight away! The most recent podcasts are relating to COVID-19 so give those a listen if you want to find out more.
Episode Recommendation: ‘Bigfoot‘
The Bigfoot episode talks about sightings of the human like beast that is Bigfoot – the question is could Bigfoot really be out there? Some people take Bigfoot sightings very seriously, there was even a scientific paper published investigating over 500 Bigfoot reports since 1944! One of the possible explanations they explore in this episode is the extinct Gigantopithecus, a giant ape dated to around 300,000 years ago. Some people believe that there may be one of these large apes roaming forests in America – not so extinct after all. By the end of the episode, after the scientific investigation, you may be able to guess what conclusion was drawn about the big man Bigfoot himself!
We thought a good way to kick off our blog would be to do a proper introduction and tell you a bit about ourselves. The journeys we have followed from school, through A Levels, to further study, working in industry and ultimately starting this blog! Hope you enjoy!
Lily
Hi! I’m Lily the slightly older and less ginger sister, I am 23 and live in the East of England. I am currently working in STEM as a Technology Graduate at BT, I joined BT in September 2019 and am absolutely loving it so far.
I have always been curious and liked solving problems, my poor mum bore the brunt of this when I was little and gave me puzzle books to keep me busy! And I’m so glad she did, as my love for puzzles helped me through years of school maths and science. All leading to me deciding to study Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Further Maths at A Level.
As I worked through my A Levels, spending more time studying fewer subjects I came to realise the majority of my interest and passion was for physics. I was really intrigued by all the questions that physicists still don’t have the answers for and the vastness of what I could learn about, from black holes to sub atomic particles.
I decided to apply to do a degree in Physics at University and I secured a place at the University of Bristol. I had a brilliant 3 years, there were times when I loved it and there were times when it was extremely difficult. But I learnt so much and loved living in Bristol a new, big, exciting city and it offered me lots of opportunities to see what I might like to do after I graduated.
After uni I did a lot of job hunting and a fair bit of soul searching and secured a job as a Science and Maths Facilitator at an EdTech (education technology) company. It allowed me to explore two of my biggest passions STEM communication and problem solving. I helped create innovative educational resources and worked on all stages of the product development process. From thinking up new ideas to testing them out in schools with young people and then fine tuning till we had a brilliant product. It was really rewarding and I learnt a lot!
I loved working on innovative solutions to problems and I decided I wanted to work in industry to explore and expand my skill set. So I set about applying for jobs in the technology sector and was lucky enough to be offered one at BT on the Technology Graduate scheme. I am currently on my first of 3 rotations and am really enjoying it so far! I have already learnt so much about the telecommunications industry and developed lots of technical skills and knowledge and I cannot wait for whatever opportunities lie ahead!
Maisie
Hi I’m Maisie, the younger and more ginger sister! I am 21 and currently doing an internship at Boeing Defence UK and working as a Logistical Support Engineer with Chinooks – so lots of helicopter data!
When I was younger I always enjoyed problem solving and building things – the classic Lego cliche applies here! My dad always tells me of the time when I was very little and I beat him in a game of dominoes. I must have always liked numbers… or maybe I’ve just been super competitive since birth.
I think I knew I wanted to go into engineering from about the age of 14, a few people I knew had done the Arkwright Scholarship (an award that encourages young leaders into engineering) and my mum encouraged me to apply for it. Amazingly I got offered it and was sponsored by Rolls Royce! This meant I was able to do work experience at Rolls Royce and I found out all about the different engineering disciplines.
I always loved making things and getting hands on experience when learning. This led me to study Product Design at GCSE and onto A Level. I always looked forward to those lessons, being able to come up with an idea and make it with your own hands is an amazing feeling.
I chose to do Maths, Physics and Product Design for my A levels, as with these I knew I could go on to apply for many different engineering or technology degrees. However I decided on Aerospace Engineering as it was the type of engineering I was most interested in and aircraft have always intrigued me.
After my A Levels I got a place at The University of Sheffield to study a degree in Aerospace Engineering. I absolutely love Sheffield, it’s the perfect city for me and I get to work in the amazing engineering building called the Diamond!
I knew I wanted to gain hands on, industry experience and to see what life working as an engineer is really like. So I decided to apply for an industrial placement and after lots and lots of applications I was offered one! I was over the moon when I got the call from Boeing as I was really keen to experience working in the aerospace sector.
Now I am 10 months into my year long internship at Boeing Defence UK and I am absolutely loving it.
We are both really excited to start sharing more of our stories and the tips & tricks we’ve learnt along the way!
Lily & Maisie
2 Sisters In STEM
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Back in the summer of 2017 (argh! it does not seem that long ago) Maisie and I decided we wanted to go to a festival. Maisie had finished her A Levels and I had completed my second year at uni and we decided to treat ourselves!
We wanted a small to medium sized festival which we could drive to, pitch up a tent and have a great time! We chose Bluedot Festival as we really liked the look of the music and science they had on offer. To top it all off, the festival takes place under the enormous telescope at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, England. We were sold!
We decided to go for the full weekend arriving on the Thursday and leaving on the Monday morning. This was definitely a good move as there was so much going on and being there for the whole event meant we were able to see everything we could have wanted.
On the first day we got our tent set up and then had a good explore of the site and to get our bearings, ready for it all to kick off on the Thursday evening! The site is nice and compact which makes it really easy to walk around. There are lots of different tents and venues, so there’s always something interesting to see or do.
We had such a brilliant time, here are some of our highlights…
The Music
One of the first things that made Bluedot catch our attention was the amazing music line up they had on offer. Our favourite performance of the weekend was definitely Alt-J on the Saturday night! They were brilliant live performers and the whole spectacle was made even more atmospheric and special by the Lovell Telescope looming overhead.
The Science Talks & Workshops
There were so many incredible scientific talks, panels and workshops on offer over the weekend. We saw talks and panels about all sorts of topics, ranging from science and the patriarchy all the way to climate change. From professors to astronauts, the speakers we heard from were brilliant! Bluedot really has something for everyone!
There were also lots of workshops and experiments to take part in. We did a fascinating one all about visiting mars – with the help of a VR (virtual reality) headset.
The Food
This post would not be complete without mentioning the food! It was just a-mazing! There was a plethora of food trucks selling literally all food imaginable. Some of our favourites were the amazing pie and mash, the thai food and of course the churros – which we are so beautifully modelling right here!
Late Night Events
We also loved the late night events on offer. There was all sorts, comedy, amazing light displays and even late night movie screenings – we watched ‘Contact’ one night (they were all kind of sciency related!). There was a part of the site among the trees where pieces of art and sculpture were illuminated late at night and it was so stunning, we visited every night on the way back to the tent!
The Luminarium
Another brilliant piece of art was the luminarium, a sculpture which you can walk through and explore. It’s colours and shapes are mesmerising, it feels like you are in a totally different world. All the amazing colours are created, purely from sunlight coming in through the sculpture!
It really is an incredible event, we would both definitely recommend – bringing together science and art in a fantastic way! We will definitely be heading back again soon.
Unfortunately because of the current situation this year’s festival has been postponed to 22nd-25th July 2021. You can find out more about this the Bluedot festival on their websitehere, and on their Youtube channel here. Have a watch of the video below to get a proper feel for it!
Me and Maisie are always on the look out for more small-medium sized festival suggestions, what are your favourites? Please leave us a comment down below!
Lily & Maisie
2 Sisters In STEM
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2 Sisters In STEM 