Science Melting Pot

Meet Sarafina (she/her) (they/them) — our Event Manager! 🎉✨

We are thrilled to welcome Sarafina to the Science Melting Pot team! 💜

Sarafina McPherson Kimø is a community event organizer and workshop facilitator with a unique background spanning science and technology communication, journalism, and social art. Their journey began with a curiosity about science as a tool for understanding and shaping the world, leading them to study Nanobioscience and explore quantum biology research and outreach⚛️

Along the way, they discovered a passion for communication and went on to specialize in social media through a degree in Journalism. Since then, they have worked with cutting-edge engineering companies while also creating co-creative and sensory experiences involving storytelling, cooking, dance, and visual art. 🎨🍲💃

Based in Aarhus, Sarafina is passionate about bringing people together through skill-sharing events and workshops that make even the most complex topics accessible and engaging. Their work is driven by a vision of helping communities build a more pleasurable, just, and sustainable world. 🌍✨

At Science Melting Pot, Sarafina will lead the implementation of the Science Comes to Town EU project, and we couldn't be more excited to have them on board!

Welcome to the team, Sarafina! 🚀

Recently, we had the Quantum Futures workshop, and here are some moments from our participation 📸⚛️

One of the key highlights was the ´Exploratory Workshop´, which we held together with our project partners. Through presentations, live transcriptions, and plenty of colorful sticky notes, we explored emerging themes, identified gaps and tensions, and discussed opportunities for future interventions 📝💡

The session brought together a rich collection of perspectives, ideas, and priorities that will help shape future research directions and foster more inclusive conversations around quantum technologies. 🌍⚛️

Thank you to everyone who contributed their insights and thoughts to this inspiring session! 🚀✨

✨ Exciting news: We are thrilled to be part of "Quantum Futures," a Sociotechnical Imaginaries and Public Engagement, a new AUFF NOVA project exploring how society imagines, understands, and shapes the future of quantum technologies!⚛️

Quantum technologies are often described as revolutionary, yet they can feel distant from everyday life. This project asks an important question: What stories, expectations, and visions are shaping our quantum future—and who gets to be part of that conversation?👥

Bringing together researchers and practitioners from Aarhus, Leiden, and Rome, the project will explore how quantum technologies are perceived across scientific, public, commercial, and policy contexts, while co-creating new ways for people to engage with the social, ethical, and political questions surrounding quantum innovation 🇮🇹🇩🇰🇳🇱

And so excited to collaborate with project lead Kristian Hvidtfelt Nielsen (Head of Centre for Science Studies, Aarhus University), Julia Cramer (Leiden University), Esben Rohan Christensen (Accademia di Danimarca, Rome), Karen Barad (AUFF Visiting Fellow at ARTS, Aarhus University), Johanna Seibt (Philosophy, ARTS, Aarhus University), Shaeema Zaman and David Owen (Science Melting Pot) and Andreas Roepstorff (Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies) 🙌

We can't wait to help create more inclusive, meaningful, and socially connected conversations about quantum futures!✨✨

Meet David (he/him), our Research and Learning Manager!🙌✨

David Owen has over fifteen years of experience working at the intersection between research and society. His specialisms include public engagement, organisational change, ando strategic partnerships.

He has worked extensively with research funders and universities, and has developed training resources for the University Partnership Playbook which synthesised the key approaches utilised by R&D departments into a set of resources that could help businesses build strategic partnerships with Universities.

His work spans across various sectors, including museums, businesses, cultural organisations, civil society organisations. He is an experienced trainer and facilitator working with both researchers, and students to facilitate the integration of societal impact into research and education.

He holds accreditation as an ILLM level 7 equivalent coach, and is a TEDx speaker.

David has joined Science Melting Pot to develop and facilitate workshops for interdisciplinary settings.

What we especially appreciate about David’s work is his ability to bridge different worlds (research, education, industry, and society) while keeping people and meaningful connection at the center of the conversation ✨

The of the day: Meet Claudia! ⚛️✨

We are excited to continue our series—a storytelling campaign by Science Melting Pot and DigiQ dedicated to highlighting the diverse voices, challenges, and motivations of the people shaping the future of quantum technologies.

Today, we are so happy to introduce Claudia Zendejas Morales (She/Her), a passionate DigiQ student at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. Originally from Mexico 🇲🇽, Claudia’s journey reflects the beauty of following curiosity across disciplines, embracing uncertainty, and building your own unique scientific path.

Let’s dive into her experience:

Q: What’s something about your journey in science that people often don’t see or talk about?

Claudia: “Something people often don't see is that scientific journeys can be nonlinear, even when they may look more straightforward from the outside. Science is often narrated through achievements, degrees, publications, or projects, but behind that there are many moments of exploration, uncertainty, gradual construction, and invisible work: studying on your own, filling gaps, asking questions, finding community, and continuing to learn even when the next step is not completely clear.

I do not think these changes of direction are necessarily a problem; sometimes they are part of the process. Moving across areas, learning new tools and methods, and connecting different ways of thinking can become a strength. Studying computer engineering before physics shaped the way I approach quantum information and quantum algorithms, giving me a computational perspective that now feels very natural in my research interests. For me, this is a reminder that there is not only one way to build a scientific path, and that diverse trajectories can bring valuable perspectives to research.”

📖 Read the full, in-depth interview on our website: https://www.sciencemeltingpot.com/shareyourqstory-campaign/claudia-zendejas-morales

Her website: https://claudiazm.xyz/

✨ Building science stories, one presentation at a time!✨
On April 20th, we had the pleasure of hosting the “Build Your Science Story” workshop together with CORC – The Novo Nordisk Foundation CO₂ Research Center! Novo Nordisk Fonden

As researchers, we spend half our lives giving presentations, often in interdisciplinary settings, but how often do we think about our communication or even get formal training in how we present? That’s exactly what this workshop focused on!

🌟We helped participants designed their own communication planning tool based on a storytelling technique and self-reflection exercises.
🌟The participants co-designed their own communication planning tool tailored to their unique work environments and presentation needs.

From group meetings to interdisciplinary collaborations, the goal was simple: create a tool for yourself, by yourself. Something practical, personal, and effective in everyday research communication💡

A huge thank you to CORC - The Novo Nordisk Foundation CO₂ Research Center for hosting us for this communication workshop! 🙌

We want to share that last week, we had an amazing experience at the Canadian Association of Science Centres (CASC/ACCS), in collaboration with Lotus STEMM!🤩

This event was especially meaningful as it marked the first official event of Science Melting Pot in Canada 🎉

Together, we hosted a workshop exploring how systemic inequities show up in educational and professional spaces, particularly for racialized and immigrant women in Canada ✨ Through open dialogue, storytelling, and practical tools, we created a space to reflect, question, and think about how to turn awareness into meaningful action!🙌

A special shoutout to Zö Wright, our Canadian Branch Lead, for representing Science Melting Pot and leading these important conversations 💜

More moments like this coming soon! 🌍✨

📣 See you in Sudbury, Canada!

In collaboration with , we will be there at the Canadian Association of Science Centres | Association canadienne des centres de sciences' Annual Conference on Wednesday, to do a workshop!

➡️ What is the workshop about?
Our collaborative workshop explores how systemic inequities persist in educational and professional environments, particularly for racialized and immigrant women in Canada. Through facilitated reflection and structured debriefing, attendees will practice identifying bias, examining positionality, and applying meta-reflexive questioning to real-world scenarios.

➡️ Our Approach
Blending storytelling, dialogue, and applied tools, this workshop supports participants in translating reflection into intentional allyship and systemic change in STEMM and science communication environments.

You can find more details of the conference and our session here: https://lnkd.in/gn39CWiG

Zö Wright , our Canadian Branch Lead, will be there from the Science Melting Pot team.

📣 Just 4 days to go.....see you in Sudbury, Canada!

In collaboration with Lotus STEMM , we will be there at the Canadian Association of Science Centres Annual Conference next week, to do a workshop!

Zoë Wright , our Canadian Branch Lead, will be there from our team.

➡️ What is the workshop about?
Our collaborative workshop explores how systemic inequities persist in educational and professional environments, particularly for racialized and immigrant women in Canada. Through facilitated reflection and structured debriefing, attendees will practice identifying bias, examining positionality, and applying meta-reflexive questioning to real-world scenarios.

✅ Blending storytelling, dialogue, and applied tools, this workshop supports participants in translating reflection into intentional allyship and systemic change in STEMM and science communication environments.

You can find more details of the conference and our session here: https://lnkd.in/gn39CWiG

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science! 🤩💜👏