A summer of chemistry
Big Bang North West saw us award a prize for experimentation to these super students! Picture: 漏 merseySTEM
As autumn closes in, it鈥檚 nice to remember a summer of chemistry at a wide range of festivals and other summer events. Our education coordinators keep us involved in communities up and down these islands, all year around.
外网天堂 regional programme manager Vicki Aldmington explains: 鈥淚鈥檓 delighted with the range of events we鈥檝e been involved with this summer. There鈥檚 no real off-season, though. We have more activities throughout the calendar, and of course, we are also looking forward to Chemistry Week in November.
"Our regional education coordinators do a great job in inspiring and encouraging activities around the country, and with our amazing band of volunteers we have a chance to give people a real connection to chemistry, and to enjoy it as much as we do."
Big Bang North West
Katayune Presland, Education Coordinator, North West.
"Both Liverpool and Manchester Local Sections supported the RSC stand at Big Bang North West on 8 July. Five RSC STEM ambassadors from Mexichem, University of Liverpool and Office for Nuclear Regulation crewed the stand which incorporated the RSC鈥檚 2015 Global Experiment looking at hydrogels in nappies and the 鈥榁iking Nappies experiment鈥� from the new STEM resource for primary called Experiment with the Vikings 鈥� it鈥檚 on the .
"Nearly 6,000 schoolchildren attended the event at Aintree racecourse organised by the amazing team at MerseySTEM. The Big Bang North West also hosted the semi-finals of this year鈥檚 National Science and Engineering Competition. The Liverpool and Manchester local sections agreed to sponsor an 外网天堂 prize for experimentation.
"Tom Blain, Rhys Evans, Ella Boswell, and Sam Morris from Mary Webb School and Science College won this prize for an experiment which looked to see if music improved productivity in the classroom."
Three of our fantastic team of education coordinators (Vicki, Sue and Kat) together at our Cazfest stand Picture: 漏 外网天堂
Sue Thompson, Education Coordinator, East of England.
"We had a very busy stand on a very sunny Saturday 11 July at Cazfest, a music festival in Bishops Stortford. We had over 200 interactions with people at the festival and got some lovely compliments for the stand.
"It鈥檚 an unusual festival 鈥� it was set up in memory of Caroline Johnstone (Caz) who died very suddenly and unexpectedly from a heart condition in 2008. The money raised from the festival contributes to research into the condition and also to health screening for local teenagers.
"We were also helped by some year 12 students from the school Caz attended, Bishops Stortford High School.鈥�
Taking our global experiment on hydrogels to Lancashire Science Festival Picture: 漏 外网天堂
Charlotte Still, Education Coordinator, North West.
"In June 2015 supported by funds from Lancaster & District Local Section we had a stand on the science show floor at the Lancashire Science Festival. The festival took place over three days at UCLan, attracting over 10,000 visitors. Hundreds of children interacted with our stand looking at the properties of water, and its place in global challenges 鈥� they could test the pH and phosphate content of water to check if it was safe to put back into a river; we looked at hydrophobic Magic Sand; we experimented with surface tension; and visitors tried out the 2015 Global Experiment on hydrogels.
"We had wonderful support from our local section and volunteers 鈥� eight local section members, four STEM ambassadors and two students. Thanks to them all for making it a success!"
Beth (and friend) at the Bournemouth Air Show stand Picture: 漏 外网天堂
Sarah Thomas and Beth Anderson, Education Coordinators, South West.
"Enthusiastic members from the Mid-Southern Counties region brought their passion for chemistry to the Bournemouth Air Festival in August. Our stand gave members of the public a chance to explore smell chemistry by guessing the smell of different ice cream flavours.
"Our display investigating how sun cream protects our skin resonated particularly with one visitor who has had skin cancer, and was very interested to hear how research in nearby university chemistry departments using spectroscopy can speed up diagnosis.
"In all, our beach-themed stand welcomed more than 300 visitors, many of whom had in-depth conversations with our volunteers".
People of all ages explored the chemistry of curry at Edinburgh Mela Picture: 漏 JA Bos/University of Edinburgh
Heather McFarlane, Education Coordinator based at the University of Edinburgh
"外网天堂 members and University of Edinburgh staff and students from the school of chemistry joined with scientists from across Scotland to illuminate and entertain over 3,000 people in August at Edinburgh Mela, Scotland鈥檚 biggest festival of world music and dance.
"We funded the Science of Spice stall to engage more people with chemistry. Thousands of adults and hundreds of children enjoyed colourful chromatography, playing with pigments, and guessing the smells of some of our favourite flavours.
"It was a pleasure and a privilege to explore the chemistry of curry at Mela; we had essential oils, raw ingredients and molecular models on display, giving people the chance to find out about antibacterial garlic, why onions make you cry and how cloves help toothache."
'Our future scientists 鈥� lighting the spark and fanning the flame鈥� conference for North Yorkshire teachers Picture: 漏 外网天堂
Jo Buckley, Education Coordinator, North East.
鈥淚 devised 鈥�Edible Experiments鈥�, and successfully trialled it at the National Science Learning Centre to 221 local students and parents. The experiments relate to individual ingredients and to how certain foods taste or how they interact with each other. In the experiments, participants are invited to try different foods before being asked some basic questions about how they taste to them, and then they find out about the chemistry behind why they taste the way they do.
"This year has also seen the 鈥榦ur future scientists 鈥� lighting the spark and fanning the flame鈥� conference for North Yorkshire teachers, the 鈥楨xploring STEM for girls鈥� event, and the first Town Centre Science Fair at Leeds Kirkgate market. Trained ambassadors delivered a range of hands-on activities to members of the public over the course of the day.
"We tested why orange juice tastes horrible after you brush your teeth,
which included trying a range of toothpaste flavours including mint,
berry and watermelon (eugh!).
"I also worked with chocolate!"