by Miroslav Ambruš-Kiš on November 09, 2013

It was Friday and I was still resting a bit from World Space Week extra efforts, when came a short reminder: tomorrow you have a presentation at Science Festival! Well, to be honest I was booked a month and a half before - it was a simple OK on a phone question "Would you…"

So, I had almost forgotten! The trouble was that it was taking place in Županja, a neat small border town some 250 kilometers east from Zagreb. It was the first issue of FEZ13, Festival znanja/Knowledge Festival, a week-long concentration of popular lectures and demos from a variety of science and humanities fields. There was no drama about a tight time, or about refreshing some old presentation for this occasion. On Monday appeared a news which came out with a need for a new one: Interorbital System's last firing before the maiden launch of the CPM-TV rocket. The always needed "wow!" effect was already there, and it was a good starting point to show the difference from common expected rocket systems, her role in Team Synergy Moon’s mission in the framework of the Google Lunar X Prize competition, and, generally, what is this Space 2.0 all about. But there was one thing I had to learn too.

And it is: One can never make one-too-many of these presentations! When you think it is all well exploited by professional media, and repeated through all available channels of social media, the presenter will from the stage still notice a prevalence of glowing eyes and jaw-drops down in the crowd… followed by informal Q&A, and posing for pictures. I've almost experienced how it must feel to be Buzz Aldrin for a minute. It happened that I have, without any intention, stolen the show of celebrity archaeologist following my presentation. I am happy not only with the outreach effect, but with this possibility to meet people who ask very competent questions and are inclined to find a way to join the team.

There are exciting times ahead of us, the precious experience from the impact of our openness and the rewarding live contact with the audience is also encouraging us to put extra effort into sharing this repeatedly.

Because it is absolutely necessary.