by Dom Mason
Sometimes, scientists travel far and wide to communicate their hard work (or so I’m told) and further the spread of scientific knowledge. Alas, we didn’t have to travel very far at all to attend the Australasian Evolution Society (AES) 2019 conference. Held at the UNSW Roundhouse in late November, it was a great way to cap off the year that was.
Sometimes, scientists travel far and wide to communicate their hard work (or so I’m told) and further the spread of scientific knowledge. Alas, we didn’t have to travel very far at all to attend the Australasian Evolution Society (AES) 2019 conference. Held at the UNSW Roundhouse in late November, it was a great way to cap off the year that was.
Being my first conference, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it was catered. It turns out delicious spreads have an uncanny ability to take your mind off how you forgot to say that one important thing in your talk. Just be careful not to take any pastries before morning tea officially begins – I can say with great confidence that you will be told off. Good food, great talks, amazing people, it seemed to me to be a sort of festival for scientists. On a whole, it reminded me of a music festival. There were unfortunate clashes with who I wanted to see, and friends leaving the group to go to different rooms. People pushing in line… I mean waiting in line, and the excitement of seeing a performance that I didn’t plan to see but still being blown away by them.
And the headlining acts (plenary talks), seamlessly confirmed why they were chosen to speak at this conference. From the humour of using modern scientific methods to find the loch ness monster, to the ethics of using gene drive to reduce or eliminate wild populations, and the importance of the fluctuation of inflammation during pregnancy from an evolutionary perspective. A common theme of bringing together different fields of science for a common goal was clear. It was truly inspiring to be given an insight into the work of not only the distinguished scientists but also early career researchers who gave talks to conclude each day; fortifying that great achievements can arise from novel and creative thinking.
Sharing the same stage, so to speak, as these researchers and esteemed professors was a great experience, especially if you were fortunate enough to keep their crowd for your talk. This unity projected a real sense of community. To me, this was confirmed during casual discussions, where I heard about exciting new projects or funny asides about trivial scientific concepts. I would deem these interactions to be the best part of the conference; getting to know scientists and other students on a casual level. It was like having a backstage pass to your favourite festival, being able to stand next to the shoulders of giants. And when people I look up to told me that I did well in my talk, it made the experience that one bit better.
Sharing the same stage, so to speak, as these researchers and esteemed professors was a great experience, especially if you were fortunate enough to keep their crowd for your talk. This unity projected a real sense of community. To me, this was confirmed during casual discussions, where I heard about exciting new projects or funny asides about trivial scientific concepts. I would deem these interactions to be the best part of the conference; getting to know scientists and other students on a casual level. It was like having a backstage pass to your favourite festival, being able to stand next to the shoulders of giants. And when people I look up to told me that I did well in my talk, it made the experience that one bit better.
If I didn’t spend too much time at the cheese platter during the breaks, I was talking to people about their studies. And to my surprise, I was approached by a student during lunch and asked a question about my talk. It was a great feeling to have someone interested in my study and being able to explain concepts that for me have become second nature. One last thing I can’t ignore is the quality and diversity of our labs talks. It seems we may have every evolutionary biology field covered (except phylogeny but I’m not too sure even phylogeneticists have that covered). With all this in mind, I would have to say this conference was a hit and I’m keen for the next one! I just have to save for a ticket, wait for the line-up, see which of my friends are going then plan my outfit.
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