SEED Dating with NOBELini Project Scientists and Designers

WHAT IF...? What if you could use a lamb as a kidney dialysis machine? Or grow meat for your dinner in a laboratory without killing an animal? From satellite communications to time-travel and invisible materials, breakthroughs in science and technology have often been driven by the exploration of fictional scenarios. Inspired by Science Gallery's current exhibition, WHAT IF, we challenge participants to come up with their own WHAT IF ideas imagine a future society, complete with new products and services, new rules of social behaviour and new ethical dilemmas.

UPDATE: If you're having trouble purchasing tickets online don't worry- just come down to the gallery and you can purchase tickets at the door!

SEED DATING is a unique networking event designed to spark off creative connections and allow a truly diverse group of people from a variety of disciplines to share and develop ideas for innovative projects in arts, science, technology, academia, business and media. Join us in a friendly atmosphere free of romantic innuendos, but full of creative innovators who will have the opportunity to collaborate, debate, discuss and bounce ideas off like-minded energies in this fast-paced environment to push ideas from napkin scribbles to newspaper headlines. No need to be an expert- just curious, creative and willing to collaborate and bring ideas to the table regarding new and emerging energy technologies. Hosted by Ireland TV presenter Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhain and set to the electro beats of iRate Soundsystem, we invite you to have a drink, meet cool people and challenge your mind.   
 
 
The event will begin with a special introduction by Brona McVitte and Carol Collet who will discuss the NOBELini Project, a scheme run collaboratively by the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre and Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design in London with similar aims to SEED Dating. The prototype project has paired 30 young scientists with 30 design students in a bid to celebrate scientific discovery. Three lucky pairs have been awarded £2000 prizes to create their proposed design prototypes for exhibition in 2010. One of the finalist pairs, Ev Yemeni (Scientist) and Celine Marcq (Designer) will briefly present their project and then participate in SEED Dating. The event will be held in our cafe as a casual chat to introduce SEED Dating and show examples of science and art partnerships.   
 
Confirmed SEED Dating participants include NOBELini participants designer Celine Marcq and scientists Ev Yemini and Ioannis Gousias, WHAT IF artists Nelly Ben Hayoun, Catherine Kramer and Zoe Papadopoulou, documentary film makers Kiki von Glasow, Carol Collet and Holly Stead with NOBELini Project Manager Brona McVitte.   
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THE BASICS
 
What is SEED DATING?
 
SEED DATING is a fast-paced event designed to spark off creative connections and allow people to share and develop ideas for innovative projects in arts, science, technology and media.
 
 How does it work?
 
A group of participants from diverse backgrounds (arts, media, science, technology, business etc) are brought together. They have 3 minute conversations with each other, and, if there is one, jot down an idea for a project they would be interested in working on together at the end of the conversation. The conversations are punctuated by a gong rung by the MC at 3 minute intervals which indicates its time to move on to a different "date". At the end of the whole session, all ideas are pooled, and the participants get to vote on the most interesting idea. The "couple" with the most interesting idea receives a voucher to go to lunch together to develop their project.
For more information email beth.gormley@sciencegallery.com by Monday 16th.