Keynote speakers

Sue Nelson

Sue Nelson is a Radio 4 science presenter, writer and a former BBC science and environment correspondent. An award-winning journalist and broadcaster, Sue hosts the annual X-Change for the British Science Association, chairs numerous events and debates and guest presents for Material World.  Subjects for her Radio 4 documentaries range from dark matter, quartz and women astronauts to the link between alcohol and cancer.  Her radio series Citizen Science even prompted a call from the Palace – apparently royalty had enjoyed the programme!

As part of Boffin Media, Sue produces the Planet Earth Online podcasts for the Natural Environment Research Council, writes for Space:UK magazine and runs media training courses. As an experienced live performer for 5 Live and News 24, her reports have appeared on all the BBC's national TV and radio news bulletins including Today and The Ten O'clock News.  Co-author of the popular science book How to Clone the Perfect Blonde, Sue has written for most national newspapers and also writes drama, comedy and short films. 

Dr Tom Shakespeare

Tom Shakespeare is a social scientist and bioethicist who has spoken and written on disability, genetics and cultural issues to national and international audiences and media for more than fifteen years.  Appearances on Newsnight, Start the Week, the Today programme and Question Time have ranged from the humiliating to the hilarious, with occasional outbreaks of intellectual gravitas.

Professor Atau Tanaka

Atau Tanaka bridges the fields of media art, experimental music, and research. He worked at IRCAM, was Artistic Ambassador for Apple France, and was researcher at Sony Computer Science Laboratory Paris, and was an Artistic Co-Director of STEIM in Amsterdam. Atau creates sensor-based musical instruments for performance, and is known for his work with biosignal interfaces. He seeks to harness collective musical creativity in mobile environments, seeking out the continued place of the artist in democratized digital forms. His work has been presented at Ars Electronica, SFMOMA, Eyebeam, V2, ICC, and ZKM and has been mentor at NESTA.

Professor Paul Younger

Paul Younger is Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Engagement at Newcastle University.  His background is in geology and environmental engineering, and he is particularly renowned for collaborative work with grassroots communities (in the UK and developing countries) to empower them to tackle issues of post-industrial pollution and the provision of clean water.  The research and outreach programme on these themes which Paul established in 1992 continues strongly to this day, and won the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education for Newcastle University in 2005. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (the top professional honour for engineers in the UK) and was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Tyne and Wear in October 2009. A gifted communicator, Paul currently serves as Public Orator for the University, recently delivering honorary degree citations for the Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP (in Jan 2007), Sir David King (May 2006), Baroness Onora O’Neill (April 2008), Lee Hall (May 2009) and Alan Shearer (Dec 2009),  amongst many others. A fluent Spanish speaker, Paul has recently been appointed to the water research panel of the government of Greater Madrid. He has extensive experience in community-based development projects in Latin America. His work in that continent was recognised in the award of an Honorary Doctorate by the Universidad Nacional de San Agustín in Arequipa, Peru, in January 2010. Paul is Director of three companies, engaged in the groundwater control and geothermal energy sectors, and is author of some 250 items in the international literature. He is the Principal Investigator of Beacon North East, one of six pilot ‘Beacons of Public Engagement’ funded by HEFCE, RCUK and the Wellcome Trust. He also serves on the public engagement panel of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Societal Issues Panel of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Paul is a member of the Board of Live Theatre (Newcastle upon Tyne) and Chair of the Board of the Great North Museum.