Posted by 
What an incredible experience! In the world of science communication, Bright Club is one of the best experiences any scientist can have. On its own website, they define themselves as “a variety night for lateral minds, where researchers become comedians for a night! Each event features academics from science, humanities, and social science talking about their work alongside professional comedians and musicians”. To be able to look at your own research (or any type of science for that matter) in a fun, light and entertaining way is the best. Shifting your attention to entertainment makes you look at your research in a completely different way and helps unwind some of the tension that it brings, both to the speaker and to the audience.
I was invited to do Bright Club after I did Famelab. It was a great opportunity to let out my artistic side and face the stage in another light. I got to be funny and get validation for it (which never happens). I got to say the funny things that pop to my mind when I’m reading a boring scientific paper. I got to say what would only come out in funny tweets. I got to hear the audience laugh at my jokes, not by obligation, but because I was funny. Bliss.
I recommend doing Bright Club to every scientist I meet (I’m a Bright Club evangelist, I gave myself the title). It is a great exercise looking at you do every day from a new point of view, writing about it and then performing it on stage. It can only make you better. The atmosphere that Bright Club provides makes scientists at ease and allows everything to flow in the best way. The M.C.s are always excellent, the atmosphere is brilliant and every month it feels like coming home. I surely got addicted and I met a lot of other people with the same feeling.
On a serious note, I think doing Bright Club helps you with the harder stuff every academic has to face. In real life, you have to present proposals, do your viva, ask for more money, do panels, etc. Bright Club is a wonderful exercise in that sense. After conquering this feat, not a lot of things will scare you, believe me. You’ll feel that if you’re able to do it, you’re able to do a lot more. Trust me, you will be able to do it and it will feel like conquering a real win. I seriously believe that it takes more hard work than talent, like science itself, like everything in life.
By now, I’ve done it a couple at times and every time it felt brilliant. I couldn’t enjoy it more. I urge you to join us and let your hair down on stage at least once. You won’t regret it.
This post was written by Ana Panigassi and originally published on her blog. Ana’s Bright Club set about boobs can be watched here.