This August, the Green Man Festival was held in the Brecon Beacons, Wales. As always, it was a celebration of music, art, and science. It also featured a contribution from the PhD students of the Centre for Developmental Neurobiology (CDN) at King’s College London (KCL). Since 2018, these students have been bringing the wonders of neuroscience to Green Man festivalgoers, and this year’s participation was bigger and better than ever, hopefully leaving a lasting impact on those who attended.
One of the standout events hosted by the CDN team was their performance of "The Brave Little Neuron" in the Omni Tent. This science-themed pantomime captivated the audience with the story of a curious young girl named Daisy, who wonders why she and her friends have different talents, likes, and personalities. To find answers, Daisy visits her neighbour Jane, a neuroscientist. Jane explains to her that to understand these differences, Daisy must first grasp how her brain developed uniquely to others.
Jane tells Daisy a story of brain development, her narrative follows two immature pyramidal neurons, Nessa and Neil, on their journey to find and join their fated network in the brain. As these neurons travel through the brain, the audience learns about the importance of neurons making connections via structures called synapses, and how these connections form networks that enable complex thinking and behaviour. The pantomime also emphasises that everyone’s brain and neural networks are different, influencing how each person interacts with the world. This makes us all beautifully different.
“Your neurons must have really been firing this year, this was the best performance yet, I’ve learnt so much”.
One festivalgoer summed up our performance. By including interactive elements, the audience was involved in our storyline, helping Nessa and Neil navigate through challenges. Through this engaging approach, the CDN team communicate complex neuroscience concepts in a way that is accessible and enjoyable for all ages.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us, asked so many brilliant and insightful questions, and engaged with our team. Your curiosity and enthusiasm made the experience unforgettable, and we hope you had as much fun as we did!
In addition to the performance, the CDN team hosted a workshop titled “Nature to Neuroscience – Connections are Key”. This workshop aimed to communicate the relevance of neuroscience and neuroscience techniques to the wider public, making complex neuroscience principles accessible and engaging for everyone.
The workshop was divided into three main themes:
Exploring the Brain and Its Connections:Festivalgoers delved into how researchers use different types of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to explore the development of human brain structure and function. Activities included making brain caps and moulded clay brains before identifying the various brain regions they had learnt about on human structural MRI scans.
Activities also touched on how researchers are using diffusion MRI to map the human connectome – all the neural connections made in the human brain. Festivalgoers could create their own neural networks out of spaghetti and blue tack, helping them to understand the complexity of neuronal connections in the brain.
Looking at the Microscale: Festivalgoers explored how neuroscience uses tools from nature to make groundbreaking discoveries at the microscale. Activities included creating drawings that were florescent under UV light to learn about green fluorescent proteins (GFP) from jellyfish, which scientists use to study neurons under a microscope. Children were particularly thrilled to see their designs light up, and the team explained how these proteins can help researchers visualise and understand neuronal activity, structure and function.
How the Brain Processes the World Around Us: Festivalgoers explored how the brain responds to simple stimuli detected by our sense organs (eyes, ears, nose, skin and tongue). Activities included demonstrations with robots that respond to laser light (external stimuli), and interactive optical illusions.
The workshop offered a platform for festivalgoers to interact with neuroscience in a meaningful way. The hands-on activities were a hit with both children and adults, sparking conversations and curiosity about the brain and its functions.
A CDN PhD student who was part of the team reflected:“My key take-away from this experience were the interactions during the workshop with children who had a real love of science and were so excited to learn something about how we perform research in a lab. I was explaining how we can use fluorescent proteins to label different cells in the brain. It was great to see the kids understand this concept and how it is a useful tool for scientists .”
Aiming to inspire the next generation, our time at green man created an open space for learning, discussion, and inspiration, showing young festivalgoers that science is not only important but also fun and accessible. Our feedback was extremely positive, and we even had some audience members returning from previous years for more scientific fun.
The insightful discussions and questions from festivalgoers were equally inspiring for the CDN Green Man team. The festival provided an invaluable opportunity to engage with individuals who have direct, personal experiences of neurodevelopmental conditions, the focus of much of our research. It was profoundly meaningful to share our work, learn about their perspectives on crucial research areas, and understand what truly matters. This experience was a powerful reminder that for research to be impactful, public engagement is essential and enriches the research process. It’s extremely fun too!
Green Man 2024 was an amazing opportunity for the CDN team to share their research with the public in a unique and engaging way. The festival provided a perfect setting for public engagement, allowing the team to connect with a broader audience and gain new perspectives on their work. It was a chance to improve communication skills, inspire future scientists, and showcase the importance and relevance of neuroscience research.
As the team reflects on their experience, they’re already looking forward to returning next year, ready to engage and be enriched by festivalgoers once more. The CDN Green Man team would like to thank the CDN for their funding support, which made this unforgettable experience possible.
Here’s to another year of science and fun at Green Man! 🌿🧠✨
Alice Thomson, PhD student
Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders (CNDD)
King’s College London
