Local bars become pop-up learning labs

Getting lectured to by someone in a pub is usually boring, right? Maybe not if that someone is a world-leading expert. In 2014 a group of professors from Columbia and New York universities hosted talks in the city’s best bars. It was a hit with more than 5000 people turning up to hear the informal lectures while enjoying a drink.
The New York experiment has spread to cities around the world, including Auckland.
Raising the Bar as it is known will take place on August 27. Twenty top academics from the University of Auckland will give talks in 10 bars.
It is free and you can book here.
Newsroom picked three academics we know are highly passionate about their fields of study and asked them what they will talk about. 
Dr Rebecca Sharp: Little white lies and porky pies
We all lie but Rebecca Sharp is an expert in understanding why we do it – when it is okay and when it’s not okay.
“I came at this originally from a clinical perspective as I support people with dementia and brain injuries where one of the behaviours is lying. A patient might tell you that they used to be a fighter pilot, but they were also Tom Cruise’s boss. The first part of that might be true but the second part isn’t. What happens is that the lie serves a purpose – the fighter pilot can’t remember (who he flew with) but wants to keep the conversation going because the social connection is important.
“This made me think about how lying can be useful to us; it can remove discomfort. If someone asks you what you think of their haircut and you think it is bad you will probably lie because you don’t want to hurt their feelings. There are lots of circumstances where it seems a good thing to lie but there are obviously times when it is not okay.
“I am also interested in how different cultures have different attitudes to lying. I am from the UK and if someone invites you for dinner and you say, ‘Can I bring a plate’ and they say no, you know they will be offended if you don’t. Whereas in New Zealand that might not be the case. If they say no, then they probably mean it.”
What do you think about swapping the lecture theatre for a bar?
“I think it is really cool. I love sharing what I do. One of the key things about being a scientist is explaining what you’ve uncovered, and this is a cool and novel way to do that. I’m excited.”
Professor Peter O’Connor: Is schooling killing kids’ imagination?
Peter O’Connor is something of an old hand at giving lectures in bars. At a previous Raising the Bar event his lecture ‘Why do terrorists want to kill us?’ was one of the first to book out.
This time he is talking about the impact recent Government changes to how and what children learn at school will have on their imagination.
“I’ve been working for the last 15 years with kids who have been caught in disaster zones and know the importance and powerful role imagination plays in their recovery.
“I can tell you that based on research the current Government’s policies are going to kill kids’ imagination. When curriculums become narrow and there’s constant testing it removes children’s curiosity. Teaching becomes less creative and moves to direct instruction. It is all about the right answer to pass the test. They say it is going to lift achievement, but research shows it doesn’t even do that.
“It doesn’t take much to kill the spark of imagination, but thankfully educational change can take a while to embed so it may be that teachers carry on doing what they do best – making learning exciting, inspiring and enjoyable. All the people I know who have a real purpose in life have had a teacher that has inspired them – it only takes one.”
Do you like the idea of lecturing in a bar?
“I think it is a great format, coming down off the ivory hill with a pint in your hand. I think most Kiwi academics are pretty grounded, most of us are struggling with kids and mortgages, and we feel comfortable in a bar. It is not a foreign environment for me.”
Professor Grant Covic: Powering the wireless charging revolution
If you have done a road trip in an EV, you will understand range stress and charger stress. Finding a fast-charging station (which may not be fully operational), dragging a heavy cable over to your car’s plug-in point in the pouring rain and getting pressure from other drivers queuing up is stressful. 
Professor Grant Covic and his team at University of Auckland are working on the answer – wireless charging for EVs when they are stationary or on the move. The university has led the global development of many wireless power systems for nearly 30 years.
“What if you could just drive over a charging pad and it automatically starts charging at a rate that is appropriate for your vehicle? You don’t have to get out in the rain and charging becomes something you don’t have to think about. 
“Wireless charging will encourage the uptake of EVs for the wider population. It removes the barriers of plug-in and range anxiety. It then just becomes about the price point (upfront cost of an EV) that you can afford.
Covic says the common standards have already been agreed by car manufacturers, and vehicles that can be charged wirelessly will start rolling out next year and could be available in New Zealand by late 2025.
“These are likely to be the higher-end vehicles, but I think it (technology) will quickly go down to the lower-end vehicles. Dynamic systems (charging on the move) are likely to be five or six years post that.
“Wireless charging will also help the efficiency of the grid because it allows ‘power snacking’. The last thing we want is everybody wanting to fast charge at the same time. Taxis, for example, will be able to charge while they are sitting at the airport waiting for passengers. Buses will be able to charge at bus stops.”
How do you think lecturing in a bar will go?
“I am quite excited but have no idea how it will go. I usually lecture with a set of slides so I will need to paint an image in people’s minds. I love chatting about the story and how we got started.  It is not often New Zealand leads the world like this and is having a global impact.