Our Imaginary Re-actors

Eleni Grammatikopoulou

Eleni Grammatikopoulou has devoted her entire professional life, with passion and inventiveness, to the field of Science Communication. First as an administrative executive at the National Hellenic Research Foundation (NHRF) and then (1993 – 2013) as head of the pioneering programme of its Educational Events "SCIENCE SOCIETY", with the aim of opening up knowledge to the general public. From 2013, she has been active, with the same inexhaustible passion, in combating scientific illiteracy as a member of committees for the design, promotion and organisation of major science festivals and programmes. Yet she was always seeking a different way of promoting science, outside conventional activities, which she achieved in 2014 with the creation of the subversive team of Science Reactors, a rotating dynamic of researchers from a broad spectrum of mainly the "hard" sciences, who marry the practices of Stand up Science and Science on Stage with the inventiveness and humour of Stand up Comedy.

In 2018 she was awarded the Science Communication award – EPI2 2018 established by SciCo and first presented at Athens Science Festival18. Recently, with the Pint of Science Greece team, with which she shares the same vision for Science Communication/Engagement, they founded the non-profit civil company Science Ahead.

Recently, together with Professor Pantazis Houlis, founder of the Museum of Puzzles of Megisti (Kastellorizo), she organised a major local science festival of national importance, the Festival of Puzzles (24-26/9). She is already a member of the Board of EN.I.G.MA (Union of Ideas, Puzzles, Mathematics), whose goals also include the Museum of Puzzles.

Finally, she has shown a similar interest in cinema, television and books. Besides production management for a series of historical and scientific documentaries, short films and advertising spots, she also signed the editing of 60 scientific publications of the NHRF.

Konstantinos Peristeris

- What is that behind your ear?

Why, an ace of hearts!

- Are you sure you're a gynaecologist?

And yet he is! Konstantinos Peristeris knows well the magic of life from the babies he welcomes into the world every day, but he is also an initiate of the magic of the stage, as an experienced sleight-of-hand artist and public speaker. Our doctor is one of the founding members of Science Reactors and delivers lessons in laughter to all those "sick" with science!

Pavlos Isaris

My name is Pavlos Isaris and I spend most of my day in front of many screens, creating technological tools that help my colleagues at SciFY.

I studied Computer Science and I love the disappointment I see on people's faces when I mention it.

Beyond pretending to be a serious programmer — which, let's be honest, nobody quite understands what I do — I like reading books about the most bizarre subjects that will satisfy the curious little kid inside me.

My favourite phrase is "Yes, but why [here follows the weird question]?".

What gives me joy in this vain world is travelling, and telling stories as well as very cold jokes, which are followed by a brief period of internal processing... I try to find new interests often, perhaps with the ultimate goal of testing the nerves of those around me…

Karamolegkou Antonia

My name is Karamolegkou Antonia and I have a degree in Linguistics. Computers, though, I adored from a young age. I started courses in Data Science and Programming without any difficulty. And a year ago I left for a master's in Sweden. A great love of mine is also talking a lot, and I like telling plenty of jokes too (most of them, however, are cold). I never like to stay idle; there's always something new I'll be reading to keep myself busy. I have a soft spot for the Science Reactors, as they promote science and communication. Writing this text, a lot of rhyme piled up, but I don't like monotony.

Athanasis Koustenis

I like to be called Athanasis Koustenis. I have just completed my MSc in Entrepreneurship (ALBA). I have studied Biochemistry & Molecular Life Sciences Research (BSc & MSc, King’s College London), Life Science Informatics (MSc, University of Patras) and most importantly Cocktail!!! (Bar Academy). I am passionate about science communication (I do it to impress women) and I am a member of Science Reactors, I was there even before they found their name : P . My mantra: Greece is changing through Science, Art & Entrepreneurship with humour, hard work & optimism !

Maria Memou

Maria Memou, wanting to satisfy her curiosity about the past — or rather to express her weakness for all things vintage — studied history & archaeology. Unable to resist her wandering, sociable nature, she left education behind and took to the mountains and beyond, working as a guide and on tours. She also loves photography and cinema. The Science Reactors discovered her when she decided to fight her personal battle with the challenge of exposing herself to a wide audience and to express her comic side by taking part, as a guest, in a show by a fellow science reactor — and somehow she decided to stay.

Thomas

Thomas Pappas studied Mathematics in Athens and is battling to finish his master's in Computer Science. He would say he's also a computer scientist, but since he believes everything is mathematics, that's superfluous. Although he has identified with all the stereotypes shown in "The Big Bang Theory" (they're all true), through many trips and meeting different people he discovered that he likes talking in front of an audience, whether explaining complex topics in a simple way or debunking myths and pseudoscience. Since childhood he could memorise every joke he heard (good or bad) and at every opportunity he throws one in to annoy... er, to make others laugh. With many interests, from music to comics (we said it, the stereotypes are all true), he found the Science Reactors, where he saw he could combine all of the above.

Michalis Sarris

My name is Michalis Sarris and I study medicine in Athens. With favourite characters Gregory House (House MD) and Chandler Bing (Friends), I developed a great love for science, an even greater god complex and a sense of humour you love to hate. I have an illicit affair with the natural sciences and a great love for chess. I adore poetry and astronomy, in which I have been distinguished and which I continue to explore and develop. More on stage..

Alexandros Sourtzis

The spatial planner-urban planner Alexandros Sourtzis decided to go to the Polytechnic so that he could comfortably make speeches to his fellow students in the lecture halls, criticising everyone and everything. As a student he was a combative unionist, editor of a student newspaper and a stormy orator, which hardly kept him undistracted from studying Geodesy and Statics.

The uncompromising nature of his character then turned him to freelance work, while for years he was a distinguished member of Toastmasters (a public speaking school). His mania for giving lectures never left him, so he was forced to continue to a PhD in Architecture at NTUA, dizzying the poor students during his teaching assistantship with PowerPoint, theories and other things he thought were interesting.

To their bad luck, the Science Reactors discovered him at a FameLab competition, and from then on their lives became, if not better, certainly more talkative.

He is a fencer, an Argentine tango dancer and a blogger, combining the elegance of dance and the charm of writing with the violent piercing power of a gladiator. A fierce opponent of pseudoscience, he never misses a chance to blast astrology, superstitions and the sorry company of obscurantism, since he probably considers himself something like Prometheus holding a torch with the light of scientific knowledge.