Profile
Dan Plane
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About Me:
I live in South East London and work as the Head of Demonstrations at the Royal Institution. If I’m not working I still like to build things at home, be it Lego or furniture.
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My pronouns are:
he/him
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My Work:
My team’s job is to come up with and make the demonstrations used in the Christmas Lectures and shows and talks that happen at the Ri all year round. Some of the shows we work on happen in other places too, festivals, theatres, maybe even your school.
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In the Demo Team, we find ways to show ideas that could be complicated in a clear way to help people understand them. We also like it if the demonstrations can be surprising or fun so people come away feeling like science can be enjoyable and interesting as well as important and useful.
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My Typical Day:
My days are always different. I could be meeting people to talk about demonstrations they’d like to do, building the demonstrations, researching the science so I understand it, or clearing up the mess I’ve made while building them.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
We could use the money to fund events here at the Royal Institution. It would mean we could put on a free science show for families, or supply tickets to existing events.
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Education:
I went to Trinity Catholic High School in Woodford Green
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Qualifications:
I did double Science at GCSE, getting two As.
I started doing Physics, Art, and Maths A-levels, but didn’t complete them.
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Work History:
After school I worked in a pubs and hotels for a bit, then got a job working with children with additional needs.
This experience working in education then helped me get a job at the Science Museum in London where I first learnt to do demos and shows.
That then led me to a job doing shows for the Ri in schools as part of their outreach programme (Science in Schools).
As well as the school shows I started doing lots of things with the Ri and eventually found myself in my current role.
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Current Job:
As Head of Demonstrations I look after the team that develop and build demonstrations for the Ri. This includes the Christmas Lectures, but also all the talks and shows we do here. Even when there is a visiting expert, they have the chance to work with us to develop new demonstrations of the science they want to talk about to our audiences. We also help with social media, making videos for YouTube and TikTok.
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Employer:
The Royal Institution
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My Interview
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My favourite CHRISTMAS LECTURES memory is:
I watched Sue Black realise they had misunderstood a mark on a skeleton's skull after watching a practical demonstration by a guest from the Royal Armouries.
How is your work linked to the CHRISTMAS LECTURES
As well as building the demonstrations, we also bring the props on and off stage during filming, and look after guests.
How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Builds Exploding Things
What did you want to be after you left school?
A Film and TV special effects engineer
Were you ever in trouble at school?
I hardly ever did my homework on time
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
If I couldn't be blowing things up, I think I'd like to work with animals
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Against all odds, I have been enjoying Olivia Rodrigo lately
What's your favourite food?
Pizza
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
I'd like a big garden, with a workshop, and time to spend in it.
Tell us a joke.
What was Beethoven's favourite fruit? Ba-Na-Na-Na
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