One York academic used the summer break to speak on his subject in surroundings a little more exciting than the Physics lecture hall. Participating in Anthony Gormley’s One & Other project, which gives members of the public the chance to speak, perform or lecture from the top of the vacant fourth plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square, Electronics Department Head Professor John Robinson spent his hour sharing his love for engineering with the crowds. He recalls the experience:
“My hour started at 7am so I didn’t have the biggest of crowds but it is important that academics take every opportunity to engage with the public, explain the research we do and how it can solve the problems we face.
I looked at how we go about choosing the best solution from a range of answers, a process known as optimisation. It included examples from across electronic engineering, with brief excursions into other disciplines including psychology, music and art, and a focus on the area of image analysis.
I am used to standing up and talking in front of large groups of people but not in such an unusual and challenging venue. One & Other was a great opportunity to be part of a unique project while doing something I really enjoy and am passionate about.”