'Joyful madness': ANU scientist wins global prize for 'dancing his PhD' about kangaroos

[cbabe]

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/feb/27/kangaroo-time-anu-scientist-global-science-prize-aaas-dance-your-phd-competition

‘Joyful madness’: ANU scientist wins global prize for ‘dancing his PhD’ about kangaroos

Four-minute video features drag queens, twerking, ballerinas, a classical Indian dancer and a bunch of friends from Canberra

Kelly Burke
Tue 27 Feb 2024 02.06 EST

The former Canberra scientist Dr Weliton Menário Costa, who now goes by the name Weli, said it “felt like winning Eurovision” when he learned he had won the global “Dance Your PhD” competition, for his quirky interpretive take on kangaroo behaviour.

His four-minute video titled Kangaroo Time features drag queens, twerking, ballerinas, a classical Indian dancer, and a bunch of friends Weli acquired from his time studying at the Australian National University.
The video collected the top prize awarded annually by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Science magazine, and San Francisco-based artificial intelligence company Primer.ai.

The competition encourages scientists to explain complex research to the wider public through dance, music and humour, and attracts dozens of entries from around the world each year.

“It’s super incredible,” Weli told the Guardian on Tuesday. “To win an international science competition, it’s like Eurovision – except we all have PhDs.

…more… YouTube video at link or…

WELI - Kangaroo Time (Club Edit) (From Dance Your PhD 2024 - OVERALL WINNER)

https://m.

%3Fsi%3D2RqAmk3_D7okLp-N

[Celerity]

1. simply wonderful! 🩵🩵🩵

[jmbar2]

2. Fabulous! Now do "Protecting Democracy"

[limbicnuminousity]

3. Now that's how you earn a doctorate.

[Conjuay]

4. And not even a fine arts major!

[flashman13]

5. So does this mean kangaroos are woke?

Who'd a thunk it?

[mopinko]

6. just brilliant.

[LearnedHand]

7. Oh thank you for posting this!

I needed "Kangaroo Time!" I'm sorry he's leaving academic science but I predict he'll be a huge success. Ima have to find that EP.

Since completing his PhD in Canberra in 2021, Weli has abandoned his academic science career and moved his home base to Sydney, where he is seeking to establish himself as a singer-songwriter.

His first EP – Yours Academically, Dr Weli – will be out 1 March.

[LearnedHand]

8. And Kangaroo Time is already streaming on Tidal

I assume that means it's also available on Spotify, etc.