SPEED OF SCIENCE
How does your immune system respond to a vaccine? How does community immunity work? And would you wear an outfit that maintains physical distancing for you?
In this exhibition, specially developed with the support of Pfizer, we examine the world we live in now, and what the world could look like in the future. This exhibition is an evolution of 2019’s WE ARE ALL SCIENTISTS pop-up - you can find more details here.
EXHIBITS
How does a vaccine work inside the human body?
Vaccines can be complex medicines, made up of many parts with various functions. This infographic explores how the immune response works - and how an mRNA vaccine can teach your immune system how to fight off a threat.
Could fashion keep us all safer?
This is the 3D-printed Proximity Dress, created by artist Anouk Wipprecht. Inspired by Edward T. Hall’s Proxemics Theory, it uses thermal sensors to track the intimate, personal, social and public space around the wearer - and if someone gets too close, it creates a physical barrier so that they can’t get closer.
What is community immunity, and why is it important?
This exhibit shows the levels of immunity needed in a population to keep everyone safe and break the chain of infection, which depends on the reproductive number - how many are infected by each person with the virus.
How can we stay connected?
Lockdowns are necessary for public health right now - but it’s also important to recognise the importance of social contact to help maintain a healthy society. This exhibit, Iso-mate(s) by artist James Delaney, imagines a series of connected objects designed to alleviate isolation by encouraging people to passively stay in touch.
How have communities across the globe responded to Covid-19?
These clips show the world’s response to Covid-19 through video - from viral dance videos encouraging viewers to wash their hands to gospel-rap artists combating the misinformation in disadvantaged communities.
PODCASTS
Episode 1: Personal Immunity
This episode features Science Gallery Dublin mediator Cillian Gartlan talking to Dr Clair Gardiner and Dr Fred Sheedy about the vaccine development pathway and the types of vaccines we are able to create using current technology.
Episode 2: Community Immunity
This episode features Professor Rachel McLoughlin in conversation with Science Gallery Dublin mediator Kate Duggan, examining the concept of community immunity.
Episode 3: Global Context and Vaccine Hesitancy - COMING SOON
This episode looks at the global context of vaccine development, and how vaccine hesitancy can threaten vaccination programmes, and hence herd immunity. Featuring Ed Lavelle and Dr. Anne Moore.
CITIZEN SCIENCE
As part of SPEED OF SCIENCE, the Science Gallery Dublin research and learning team has developed co-creation workshops with target schools in central Dublin. Working with the three partner schools and experts in immunology and biochemistry, we are designing a workshop to help Transition Year students explore perceptions of information regarding diseases and vaccination through play, dialogue, debate and discussion. This interactive online workshop will be carried out with three schools and will be followed up in 2021 with one more session with a partner school to co-design a piece of citizen science research exploring attitudes to vaccination within the community and facilitate student empowerment to recognise, understand and combat misinformation in the media.
SPEED OF SCIENCE was developed by Conor Courtney with special thanks to Dr. Clair Gardiner, Dr. Fred Sheedy, Dr. Rachel McLaughlin, Prof. Ed Lavelle, Dr. Anne Moore, and Science Gallery Dublin mediators Cillian Gartlan, Kate Duggan and Lee Sherlock, Fiona McLoone and Ian Martin.
‘We Are All Scientists’ is a Pfizer initiative in partnership with Science Gallery Dublin. The aim of the initiative is to inspire everyone to consider how they can play a part in scientific discovery and innovation.