Profile
Martin Coath
I just found 4 spelling/grammar/punctuation errors in my own profile!
My CV
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Education:
The whole of life is an education. I have learned just as much from working, travelling, and sharing houses with odd people (!) as I have from attending classes. But I guess this section should be about schools and universites.
My school was bulldozed in the 90s (a while after I left). Even the school that replaced and absorbed it has now gone! It was a large (1800 students) mixed ability state school on the outskirts of Plymouth.
Then I did a degree at the University of Essex (Chemistry) and, much later on, two more degrees at Plymouth University (AI and Computational Neuroscience).
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Qualifications:
School:
I have 8 or 9 (can’t remember) O Levels and GCSEs, and 2 A Levels.Universities:
BSc (Hons.), MSc (Distinction), PhD -
Work History:
Lecturer and researcher for Universities:
Lapland, Plymouth, Oxford, Reading, Nottingham, Essex.As science communicator:
I have worked for the Ri, the Wellcome Trust, Science Museum, British Council, and others – really a *long* list!Lecturer for FE: Oxford and Nottingham.
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Current Job:
Affiliated Senior Researcher – University of Lapland; Associate Lecturer – University of Plymouth; Scientist in Residence Plymouth Academy of Creative Arts; Self employed
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About Me:
I am a computational neuroscientist, who now works in climate change science, educational research and training. Trained as a chemist and as a programmer. (I know, what a mess!)
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I live in Cornwall but travel quite often for my work, all over the world. In fact I travel rather too much. But not in the current pandemic!
I play music a lot, and was a competitive Ultimate Frisbee player for a long time. I am now retired from competition and just throw discs for fun.
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I am (among other things) a senior researcher at the University of Lapland. Our current project involves thinking about the effects that climate change might have on the region, and specifically on Arctic tourism. I am writing computer programs that will help those managing (for example) skiing industry to make decisions. This is just a small part of a major EU funded research project that looks at all aspects of arctic life called Blue Action. The project involves people from all over the world and you can find out a bit more by clicking here.
On a fact-finding tour of ski resorts in arctic Lapland with other members of the Blue Action team.
Science Communication has always formed a huge part of my scientific life. I am a regular at science festivals, science cafes; I have developed projects with the Ri, the Wellcome Trust, various museums, the British Council, the Edinburgh Festival; and I work with students of all ages as ‘Scientist In Residence’ at a large school in Plymouth.
Talking to medical students in Chisinau (the capital of Moldova) about hearing and how we process sound in our brains.
It was blast to take part in ‘I’m Scientist Get me Out of Here’ and to be kept in until the end to win my zone. I was also the winner of the first ever live version of the competition.
My PhD was in computational neuroscience. It’s amazing how we use the stuff we get from our eyes and ears to make sense of the world and nobody is really sure about how we do it. My thesis involved building computer models of how we hear, and how we learn to hear.
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My Typical Day:
I am one of these wierd people who likes to work early in the morning. I read a lot of papers, write notes on what I am going to do for my various projects, meet with and talk to my colleagues (including a lot of on-line meetings even before lockdown!), and write and test computer code.
There are many opportunities to get out and talk about science in public, in schools, at festivals and in the media.
I travel a lot, this involves a good deal of planning and preparing talks, demonstrations and workshops. -
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I do spend a lot of my time reading. Other people’s results and opinions are an essential part of research, even if you disagree with everything they say. I also like to read what people are doing way outside my own area. Many researchers fall in to the trap of only reading what they think is directly important to them, and they miss loads of great ideas that would make their work better.
At a workshop during the Neuromorphic Engineering meeting in Capocaccia, Sardinia.
Writing computer code is a creative process that I have always enjoyed. Playing with ideas, making them work, building models from data, seeing how it all fits together in many different ways – it is like a vast construction kit, where the design of each piece, and the way all the pieces fit together, is decided by you and the results are satisfying and beautiful to look at.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
There isn’t any! I did get a small prize for winning my zone in a different version of I’m a Scientist and I spent it on making a nice travelling demo for science roadshows.
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Curious, serious, careful.
What did you want to be after you left school?
I honestly had no idea. Take a tip from me – *be more focussed!*
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Only minor stuff. My school had a purpose built music department with sound-proof practice rooms. Occasionally (!) I took my guitar to the music block and locked myself in rather than go to lessons. I was caught in the end of course.
Who is your favourite singer or band?
I listen to a lot of great tracks by loads of different people. My friends are always recommending stuff for me to listen to and usually I end up liking it.
What's your favourite food?
Lebanese cookery is great!
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
I would want to be smarter, more energetic, and less serious.
Tell us a joke.
A polar bear walks in to a bar and says “A pint of bitter and … … … … … … … … a packet of crisps please”. The guy who is serving asks him “Why the big pause?” “Because I’m a polar bear!”
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