In this month’s Outreach of the Month interview, we meet Venus Keys, one of the newest members of the IPPOG community and Ireland representative. With a strong interest in science communication, education, and public engagement, Venus brings fresh perspectives and enthusiasm to particle physics outreach. In this interview, she shares her background, motivations, and thoughts on the importance of building connections between science and society. We are delighted to welcome her to the collaboration and to introduce her work to the wider IPPOG community.

1. Can you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about your outreach activities?

I am a Senior Research Fellow at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies and a Scientific Associate at CERN. I identify as a Particle Cosmologist and my research focuses on physics beyond the Standard Model, cosmology, and the early universe. Alongside my research, outreach and science communication have become a central part of my professional life.

I currently serve as the Irish representative in International Particle Physics Outreach Group (IPPOG), and I am deeply involved in building stronger connections between particle physics and society in Ireland and internationally. Over the years, I have organised and contributed to public lectures, masterclasses, school visits, outreach festivals, and online educational initiatives aimed at making fundamental physics more accessible to diverse audiences.

One of the outreach projects closest to my heart is “SIMpossible”, an interactive initiative designed to help people explore how the universe would change if the laws of physics or the values of fundamental constants were different. The idea is to allow the public to engage with physics not as a collection of equations, but as a living and creative exploration of reality itself.

I also strongly believe that outreach should not only communicate science, but also help people feel that science belongs to them regardless of their background, nationality, gender, or level of education.


2. What or who inspired you to become involved in science outreach?

I think the inspiration came from several directions simultaneously.

As a child, I was fascinated by the deepest questions about existence: where the universe came from, why nature has the structure it does, and whether reality could have been fundamentally different. What inspired me most was not only the science itself, but the feeling of wonder it created.

Later in life, I realised that many people see physics as distant, inaccessible, or only meant for a very small group of experts. That always felt unfortunate to me, because the questions we study in particle physics belong to everyone. Outreach became a way to bridge that gap.

I have also been inspired by scientists who were able to communicate complex ideas with humanity and humility. The best communicators are not necessarily the ones who simplify science the most, but the ones who invite others into the process of curiosity and discovery.

Finally, I think outreach became especially important to me because of my own personal journey through different countries, cultures, and challenges. I know how transformative it can be when someone feels seen, included, and intellectually encouraged. Science outreach can sometimes provide exactly that moment for another person.


3. Which aspects of outreach do you enjoy the most, and why?

What I enjoy most is the moment when science suddenly becomes emotionally real for someone.

Sometimes this happens when a young student realises that they are capable of understanding an advanced idea they previously thought was impossible. Sometimes it happens when a member of the public connects cosmology to their own sense of existence and curiosity. Those moments are incredibly rewarding.

I particularly enjoy adapting physics to different audiences. Explaining electroweak symmetry breaking to theoretical physicists is very different from explaining the same concept to school students or to someone with no scientific background. Finding new ways to communicate the same underlying truth is both intellectually challenging and creatively satisfying.

I also enjoy working with young people, especially students who may not initially see themselves represented in science. Encouragement at the right moment can genuinely alter the trajectory of a person’s life.

Another aspect I value greatly is the international nature of outreach through organisations such as CERN and IPPOG. Science outreach creates connections across cultures and reminds us that curiosity is something fundamentally human and universal.


4. Outreach often comes with challenges. Can you share a personal anecdote from your outreach experience?

One challenge I have encountered repeatedly is helping people overcome the fear that physics is “too difficult” for them.

I remember once speaking to a group of students during an outreach event where several of them had already convinced themselves that physics was only for “geniuses”. During the session, I deliberately shifted away from equations and instead focused on the underlying intuition and beauty of the ideas. By the end, one of the students approached me and said: “I did not know physics could feel like philosophy mixed with imagination.”

That moment stayed with me because it reminded me that outreach is often not about transferring information. It is about changing emotional relationships with knowledge.

Another challenge is balancing outreach with research responsibilities. Academic life can be extremely demanding, and meaningful outreach requires time, preparation, and emotional energy. However, I increasingly see outreach not as something separate from science, but as part of the responsibility that comes with being a scientist.


5. What impact do you hope your outreach work has on the communities you engage with?

I hope my outreach helps people feel that science is something they are allowed to participate in intellectually and emotionally.

For younger students, I hope it encourages confidence and curiosity, especially among those who may feel excluded from scientific spaces. Sometimes a single positive interaction can influence educational choices and self-belief for years afterward.

For the general public, I hope outreach helps cultivate scientific literacy, curiosity, and critical thinking, particularly in a world increasingly shaped by science and technology.

More broadly, I hope outreach can remind people that fundamental research has cultural value in addition to technological value. Particle physics is not only about accelerators and equations. It is part of humanity’s attempt to understand reality itself. There is something deeply unifying about that pursuit.

Finally, I hope my work contributes to building more inclusive scientific communities where people from different backgrounds can see themselves reflected in science.


6. What advice would you give to someone who would like to start or become more involved in outreach activities?

Start small and start authentically.

Many people hesitate because they think they need to be an expert communicator before they begin. In reality, enthusiasm, sincerity, and patience matter much more than perfection.

One of the most important things in outreach is learning to listen. Good outreach is not simply delivering information. It is understanding what excites, confuses, or motivates different audiences and then building a bridge from there.

I would also encourage people not to underestimate the importance of empathy. Outreach is fundamentally human. The goal is not only to explain physics correctly, but to help others feel welcomed into the conversation.

Finally, I would say that outreach is valuable not only for society, but also for scientists themselves. Explaining ideas to diverse audiences often deepens your own understanding and reconnects you with the sense of wonder that likely brought you into science in the first place.