Artful Ways of Being Human

What do Kim Kardashian, anime girls, and your best friend on the phone have in common? Before you even focus on their words, you are already hearing clues about who they are, how they feel, and how they want to come across.

This talk is about voice quality: the texture of the voice. Is it creaky, breathy, bright, tense, soft, smooth, or rough? These tiny details can shape how we hear someone as confident, cute, relaxed, local, feminine, posh, annoying, friendly, or sincere.

We will travel from American vocal fry and Japanese “sweet voice” to bilingual speakers and Shanghai Wu Chinese, where breathy voice connects with ideas of softness and local identity. Along the way, we will ask: why do some voices get admired, mocked, stereotyped, or misunderstood?

No linguistics background needed — just bring your ears, your impressions, and maybe your best Kardashian or anime voice. Pint of Science aims to share research in accessible, informal settings with no prior knowledge required, so this version keeps the hook conversational and curiosity-led.

"What does dignity actually feel like in everyday life? We often talk about it as something fixed or guaranteed, yet in real life dignity can be fragile, shared, and shaped by our backgrounds and experiences.
In my research, I explored dignity not as an abstract idea but as something people live. I worked with women from community groups in Coventry, inviting them to collage making workshops. Instead of starting with academic definitions, we used paper, scissors, glue, and conversation to explore moments when dignity felt supported—or challenged.
Participants created visual stories connected to migration, disability, aging, surviving abuse, discrimination, and navigating family or gender expectations. I also held interviews to hear the stories behind the images.
What I found is that dignity isn’t about being “strong” or “independent” in a narrow sense. People described dignity as having space to set boundaries, express emotions, and become who they really are. It grows through relationships, social conditions, and personal histories—not in isolation.
My talk will show how collage making made a big, complex idea concrete and accessible, opening conversations that might not happen in a typical interview. Expect images, stories, and a fresh way of thinking about what it means to live with dignity."