Pint of Science

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Pint of Science is a global, non-profit festival that makes science easy to understand by bringing researchers to pubs, cafés and other public places. It happens every May and is run mainly by volunteers—postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers, lecturers and public-engagement staff from universities and research institutes.

Origins: In 2012, two Imperial College London researchers, Dr. Michael Motskin and Dr. Praveen Paul, noticed a gap between their work and what the public understood. They ran a “Meet the Researchers” event where people affected by neurodegenerative diseases could see science in action. The idea: bring scientists to the public. Pint of Science was born.

First festival and growth: The first festival was held in May 2013 in three cities. It has since grown to thousands of researchers presenting across hundreds of cities in many countries each May. The festival covers many topics under themed strands such as Beautiful Mind, Atoms to Galaxies, Our Body, Planet Earth, Tech Me Out and Our Society, plus art-science events called Creative Reactions.

Format: There’s no fixed format. Local organizers run the events, typically with multiple stages in each city where researchers present, discuss and answer questions. Activities include demonstrations, quizzes, robots, and interactive displays. In Cambridge, Creative Reactions teams scientists with artists to create artworks inspired by the talks; the first exhibition in 2015 drew about 700 visitors.

International growth: By 2014, Pint of Science had expanded to Australia, France, Ireland, Switzerland and the United States, all on the same three days. Since 2017, international director Élodie Chabrol has helped add many countries and cities. Brazil now hosts the most Pint of Science cities, with over 120 in 2023.

Awards and recognition: The festival has received several honors, including the UK Prime Minister’s Points of Light in 2015, as well as awards from Imperial College London, the University of Oxford and the University of Lincoln for public engagement with research.

COVID impact: The 2020 festival and part of 2021 were held online due to the pandemic.