Science week scores 10 out of 10
Friday, 19 March 2010
People enjoying 'science busking' on Broad Street, Reading
'National Science and Engineering Week is a nationwide celebration of science, which sees thousands of fantastic events for families, adults and schools taking place across the UK.'
As part of National Science and Engineering Week (12-21 March), the University of Reading and the British Science Association teamed up with other organisations within the Thames Valley to bring the region Reading Science Week 2010!
The Department of Chemistry started the week off with a bang as 130 local secondary school pupils attended a highly entertaining demonstration lecture, where Dr David Watson wowed the audience with an impressive series of demonstrations using Dry Ice (solid CO2) and Liquid Nitrogen. The lecture was based on the idea of temperature ranges in our solar system and the effect of very low temperatures on air and everyday objects around us. Bluetac, bananas and balloons were amongst the objects dunked into the freezing depths of the Liquid Nitrogen.
During the week, the Department of Meteorology and Walker Institute hosted an interactive open-day for local schoolchildren, who discovered how weather forecasts and climate change predictions are made through taking part in a series of fun, hands-on experiments.
The Department of Maths has also been encouraging local school children to engage with science and engineering with their event, ‘Magnificent Maths! - Maths in the real world'. This was a day of hands-on experience for year 10 and 11 students, demonstrating the application of mathematics to a range of real world problems including weather prediction, the spread of infectious diseases and drilling for oil.
Dr Rachel South, Science Outreach Coordinator at the University said: ‘We are extremely proud to be playing such a large part in what is an important week. Hopefully, our involvement in Reading Science Week will encourage students to study science in further education.'
All University events have been put on in partnership with the Student Recruitment and Outreach team.
But it's not just local school children who have been enjoying science-based activities this week...Dr Lucy Wallace, Research Communications Manager at the University, has been taking science out to the local community with an exciting programme of events for Reading Science Week.
Lucy and her team could be seen ‘science busking' in Reading town centre on Saturday, star gazing at Dinton Pastures in the evening, and learning about Mother Nature in the Caversham Court Gardens on Sunday.
Lucy, who is also Chair of the Thames Valley branch of the British Science Association, said ‘we were delighted to see so many people out and about enjoying science, and learning about how science is relevant in our everyday lives.'
There is still time for you to get involved; for more information please visit www.britishscienceassociation.org/readingscienceweek.