What is The Empowered Atom?
The Empowered Atom is an editorial knowledge platform, created for critical thinking, collaboration, and information regarding climate change. We aim to facilitate the conversation on the climate emergency and promote an emerging culture - a climate culture.
Art meets Science.
The Empowered Atom was born from a beautiful friendship between an artist and a scientist. As a scientist wanting to connect to society, Sannah started her communication journey by giving a TEDx talk on nuclear energy. This presentation marks the start of our collaboration. Discussing and deconstructing the topic in depth, Lucy created engaging visuals to portray the complexity of the topic in an honest yet simple way. This process highlighted the power of visual communication and the strength in a science and art fusion.
The Empowered Atom exists as a fusion of art and science, that connects technical and scientific information to a broader audience. We aim to help people approach subjects regarding the climate emergency in a welcoming environment.
What are we up to?
The Empowered Atom explores different topics relevant to climate change with the help of experts. We are currently running opinion piece series, where we collaborate with people from various fields. These experts are invited to share their personal insights on the role their sector plays in the climate emergency and why we should care. (and what we can do)
The Empowered Atom is a passion project that we dedicate our love and time to. We are looking forward to creating a diverse range of content in the future. If you are interested in collaborating (as an opinion piece author or other) please contact us.
Why The Empowered Atom?
The Empowered Atom was founded to bridge different types of knowledge on climate change and communicate these effectively to the public. Our society categorises knowledge and people into specific areas of expertise (e.g. geography or chemistry). Once people are part of a specialisation, they are not often challenged to communicate to or learn from the rest of society. As such, it is difficult to learn things when these are boxed within a certain field or discipline.
In the climate emergency, specialised thinking is not sufficient. As a complex topic, it requires a multidisciplinary approach where people from different fields collaborate; this involves communicating to the public. For this reason, the goal of the Empowered Atom is to help experts share their knowledge and insights with the rest of society so they are readily available and relatable to everyone.
What’s up with the name?
Our world is made up of atoms; it is the building block of everything we see around us, yet invisible to the naked eye. So is the knowledge we have inside us. Although a single person may feel insignificant – just like an atom – together we have built global societies. Empowering people to openly share their knowledge, personal stories, and insights with each other strengthens our society. And that is something we need to do to respond to challenges such as climate change.
Art meets science.
Sannah van Balen
Founder/Director
My name is Sannah van Balen and I am the founder of the Empowered Atom. I am currently living in Amsterdam.
I have a degree in Physics from the University Of Edinburgh and a Masters degree in Nuclear Energy from the University of Cambridge.
After my studies I worked as an energy consultant, specialised in nuclear energy. I am currently doing a Masters in Science, Technology and Society (STS).
I tend to see things a little differently to most technical experts. In my eyes, experts have an opportunity and thus responsibility to share their knowledge with society. To do so effectively, we as experts must become communicators.
Lucy Henshall
Creative Director
Hello! I'm Lucy. Im half Finnish, half English. I currently live in Asturias, Spain working as an Art Director.
After getting a Master Degree in Fine Art and History of Art from the University of Edinburgh, I moved to Amsterdam where I gained experience in film production and advertising.
I love to collaborate on projects where I get to learn about something new. I'm a believer in the power of visual aid in communication and it excites me to create content that is empowering, inclusive and that promotes progressive thinking.
I love working closely with our authors to help them communicate their opinions and insights using visual aid.
Clara Pérez
Research, editing, design
Hi! My name is Clara Pérez and I'm a Spanish student living in Gijón, Asturias. I am currently in the last year of my Product Design studies at the Escuela Superior de Arte de Asturias (ESAPA).
I am particularly interested in the hidden process behind the everyday objects that surround us and how a concept becomes something physical. During such a process, communication between people from different fields is key. As a product designer, I look forward to being a translator of those ideas in a creative way.
At the Empowered Atom, I focus on research & design as this gives me the opportunity to explore new technologies that will either play a big part in our future or inspire us to make meaningful change.
