by Emma Atkinson

Hello wonderful readers!  Isn’t the cooler weather a welcome shift?  

Science can be fun, especially if it’s both sexy and social. Your latest mission, should you choose to accept it, is to try being just a bit more social than usual.  

Some lovely person recently commented on how it can be difficult to meet people at CSPC parties. Many party goers attend with a date, the music can be a bit loud at times, and not everyone there has a goal of meeting someone new.

So, the next time you go to an awesome CSPC event, try to catch a few people’s eyes and smile at them. While being careful not to interrupt a scene or aftercare time, try giving a truthful compliment or two and see how that goes. It shouldn’t be all that hard - look around at a party and you’ll see amazing people wearing amazing clothes and using amazing toys. And sometimes the most ordinary-looking person in the room has amazing stories to share!

Think about what that person might want then and there. Don’t we all want to be seen and acknowledged? Don’t we want to be welcomed and feel like we’re a part of the community? Of course we do! 

Your mission is to focus on helping people at the event feel welcome. Try it, and notice if you feel more welcome yourself. Start slowly- there’s no need to push yourself too much, especially at first. Successful science experiments are habit-forming, and you may find it easier over time to get to know more people while you’re creating the kind of community you want to be in.

Please share your experiences at:  info@thecspc.org.

“She blinded me with science” - Thomas Dolby

“They blinded me with sexy (social) science” - Emma Atkinson