Let's Start Successfully Failing: Dr Niamh Shaw at TEDxUCD

Dr Niamh Shaw is the 2014 Artist in Residence at the CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory, Cork, whose TEDxUCD 2014 talk is entitled 'Let's Start Successfully Failing'.

Failure, which is defined loosely as 'a lack of success', is a necessary part of innovation, creative thought and eureka moments and failures are outcomes of ultimate success. Yet, in life and in research, we rarely share our failures, we share the destination, but rarely the journey.

In her TEDxUCD talk Dr Niamh Shaw discusses what is failure and what is success.

Dr Niamh Shaw, a performer, scientist and engineer, is passionate about awakening people's curiosity. Niamh, a University College Dublin (UCD) graduate was a full-time academic and published author in peer-reviewed journals before embarking on a career which merges science, art, technology and humanity.

She is currently the 2014 Artist in Residence at the CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory, Cork. She was recently awarded Science Foundation Ireland funding (in association with CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory and the European Space Education Resource Office (ESERO) Ireland) to produce a performance piece, To Space, Perchance to Dream, to highlight Ireland's involvement in the space industry and associated STEM careers.

She regularly contributes on national TV, radio, press and podcasts, on popular science/tech related topics and hosts/facilitates panel discussions, workshops, or Q&A events and speaks publicly on all things curious.

With over 11 years' experience in improvisation, Niamh has performed with The Craic Pack Comedy Improv, The Cardinals, Snatch Comedy, Cork, and The Second City, Los Angeles. She now brings these improv skills to scientists and academics as part of Straight Talking Science, a specialised communications workshop to enhance public engagement skills in association with UCD Science Expression and The Gaiety School of Acting.

She co-founded the science art collaboration TATSOI, maker of That's About The Size Of It and IN SIGHT OF EUREKA as part of an artist in residency at 2013 Festival of Curiosity. She was in addition company member of the multi-disciplinary theatre company ANU productions, where she devised and performed in their work including the award winning Laundry & Worlds End Lane.

She is a member of Engineers Ireland and the Institute of Physics. She is curious, always and embraces failure every day.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)