Wandering in Sheffield with Bang LIVE

This weekend saw my wanderings take me back to my old stomping ground of Sheffield, where I lived and studied for seven years, to join the Bang Goes the Theory team again for the latest stop on the Bang LIVE tour.

It was a pleasure to catch up with some familiar faces, and to meet some new ones, as everyone involved shared their love of science with the good folk of Sheffield.

One of the highlights of the weekend for me was that I finally got to see the live show. Dallas, Jem and Dr Yan were on top form, and the lovely and talented Fran did a brilliant job standing in for Liz Bonnin (who was away filming for another project). The dry ice bomb was particularly impressive, and I finally saw the giant hamster wheels in action! The show even helped me with planning my lessons for this week, as I ‘borrowed’ the demonstration to measure the speed of a nerve impulse to use with one of my classes.

The interactive area was as popular as ever and, despite the rain, people queued up outside to get in and have a go at the demonstrations and experiments on offer. Being hardy types, some of the science buskers got out there with them to do some portable demonstrations, and keep them entertained while they waited. My personal favourite for entertaining the queue was the lowest budget 3D movie in the world “Cork on a String”!

Besides the bonus that a trip to Sheffield allowed me to revisit some of my old haunts (i.e Pubs!) in my free time in the evenings, it was also close enough to mean that my hubby, Glenn, could come along… armed with a camera! Thanks to him I now have some great photos to add to the gallery page of the DrD’s Science Days website, including this one, where he managed to catch me being upstaged by Dr Yan again!

Sadly, Sheffield was the last Bang LIVE event for me… Boo! (although the team are visiting Poole, in Dorset, in June).

But… I have just had confirmation that I will be taking to the road again with the BBC for the Chetenham Science Festival… Hurrah!

… and so the Wanderings of the Wandering Scientist continue!

Edinburgh International Science Festival – Bang LIVE goes to Scotland!

I truly have been a Wandering Scientist over the past couple of months…

My wanderings have taken me out on the streets of my home city, Lincoln, to the Big Bang Fair in Birmingham, and most recently to Edinburgh to take part in the Edinburgh International Science Festival!

Once again, I joined the team from the BBC’s Bang Goes the Theory for the latest of the Bang LIVE events. This time our home for the interactive area was a rather impressive inflatable tent, proudly displaying the Bang Goes the Theory logo.

Myself and the other Science Buskers entertained and informed members of the public with experiments and demonstrations at Dr Yan’s table. We showed the lowest budget 3D movie ever – “Cork on a String”. We set fire to things (one of the top reasons for becoming a scientist is the freedom to burn things without getting told off!). We amazed people by showing them how to turn Marmite white, and we got the big hammer out again to prove the protective capabilities of liquid body armour… All great fun!

Dr Yan’s table was only a small part of the amazing array of science on show within the Bang interactive area. Other concepts which have featured in episodes of Bang Goes the Theory were also on show, including Jem’s Sky Cycle, and the Big Book Challenge – demonstrating the power of ‘science friction’… I just couldn’t resist having a go at suspending myself from two telephone directories!

The Edinburgh event also featured lots of demonstrations from partner organisations. The Institute of Physics were there showing people how to pierce a balloon with a kebab skewer. The Royal Society of Chemistry had a selection of smells (some more pleasant than others!) to experience. There were plenty of sports science activities for people to try out, including testing how far they could jump and how fast they could throw a ball. There was also a lot of shouting thanks to an experiment being carried out by a team from the Open University to see who could shout the loudest, tested against age and gender.

All in all, it was another great event, and I’m really looking forward to joining the Bang LIVE team again for the next stop on the tour, Sheffield, in two weeks time.

Science Busking at The Big Bang Fair 2012

WOW!!

What an experience!

I was aware that the Big Bang Fair was the biggest Science Fair in the UK, but I don’t think that fully prepared me for the sheer number of people, or the level of enthusiasm, that I would encounter there!

I feel truly privileged to have been part of this wondwerful event!

I love science…

I love sharing my love of science…

I love meeting other people who love science…

I have experienced three days of a dream come true!

I was working with the team from the BBC’s Bang Goes the Theory.

Many people might think that the most exciting part of that would be to meet the presenters.

Well, I did meet them all, and they are all genuinely very nice people to be around, and people who take a real interest in raising the profile of science. I had a couple of really interesting chats with Dr Yan regarding the experiments that I was demonstrating, and learned a lot from him… Every day’s a school day!..

Dr Yan sharing his love of science... In MY spot!!

Besides the presenters of the show, I met a lot of other people who were working at the Big Bang Fair. Some were BBC staff, some were volunteers. It didn’t matter… All of them had such a huge energy and enthusiasm for spreading the joy of science that I felt I had found some kindred spirits, and I will never forget my time with them.

The other people who made the whole event really special were the visitors… I spoke to school groups, scout groups, families… I saw, and chatted to, people of all ages from toddlers to pensioners… Most of whom I hit with a big hammer (don’t try this at home!) while demonstrating the properties of liquid body armour!

Every single one of us should try to learn a little bit extra each day, regardless of how old you are, or how much you already know… no-one can know everything… It’s not knowledge that gives us power, It’s the willingness to learn!

I can’t wait to do it again in Edinburgh next month!

Come along if you can: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lwxj1

Bang Goes The Theory - The Best Job Ever for a Wandering Scientist!

I have been a wandering scientist (as well as a wondering scientist, which all scientists are by default) for a year now, but I have been wandering within a fairly narrow geographical area, taking work as and when it comes my way. Today, I got the news I have been waiting for. The confirmation that I will be able to spread my love of science further afield. I am going to be part of a bona fide science roadshow!!

Thanks to an old (sorry, a former – she’s not actually old herself!) colleaugue at the Lincolnshire &Rutland EBP I have landed possibly the coolest job that I could ever have wished for.

I will be working as a science busker for the BBC show Bang Goes The Theory on their live tour of the UK!

The tour will take in four cities across the UK – Birmingham, Edinborough, Sheffield (my old stomping ground) and Poole (Dorset) between March and June. Each event will be filled with sciency fun and frolics, and I will be a part of that! I may only be a small part, but I will do my darndest to make sure that whatever I am demonstrating, and whoever I am  demonstrating it to, the members of the public who meet me leave with a little more knowledge, and a lot more curiosity and enthusiasm about all things scientific!

The Road to Success is Long...

There have been a lot of positives in the last month, and there is certainly a lot to look forward to in 2012:

• Party bookings are up
• School enquiries are up
• Hits on the website are up
• social networking seems to be paying dividends

Despite all of these positives, there is still 'leg work' to be done.

That is what I have been doing today.

Part of being self employed, and taking responsibility for your own success (or failure), is acknowledging that every task is your task (if you aren't in a situation to pay someone else to do it for you).

Today I have walked miles.

I'm not sure exactly how many miles, but I know I was walking continuously for several hours. I wish I'd been wearing a pedometer so that I could calculate how many calories I'd burned!

I dropped leaflets along a familiar route, which would normally take about 15 minutes to walk. 

After over an hour and a half I was running low on flyers, so retreated to a pub for a well deserved drink.

The lessons learned today were many and varied.

It's amazing how quickly you pick up on the types of houses to target with flyers.

My flyers were designed for children's parties, so I quickly started to target houses with  the following:

• Children's bikes outside
• Trampolines in the garden
• Small sized shoes in the porch
• Photographs of children over the fire place
• Curtains in upstairs rooms with football team logos (predominantly Liverpool FC, despite Liverpool being several hundred miles away)
• Cars on the drive way with child seats / sun shades in the back seats

Despite this targeted approach I find that, at the end of a long day, my legs ache and I am tired. 

I am, however, contented in the thought that if even 1 in 100 flyers elicit some kind of response I am better off than I was 24 hours ago.

I have made that difference myself.

I have walked the streets.

I have promoted myself.

I have spoken  to people.

I have earned my money (or will have when my efforts pay dividends)

There is pride to be had from this kind of personal approach to business, and I like that!

I take pride in my business.

I take pride in myself.

I take pride in working hard to achieve my ambitions.

I shall sleep well tonight!

Looking forward to 2012, while looking back to prehistory.

As a scientist my general position is one of looking forward.
Looking to new developments, new discoveries, new technologies.
Looking towards a future in which science will assist humanity in bigger and better ways (or more probably smaller and better ways!).
Looking forwards, hoping to educate and inspire the next generation of scientists, has been my goal for many years now.

Recent developments, however, have turned my perspective on it's head in a fantastic way, and have refocussed my attentions on the past... Not a week ago... Not a year ago... Not even within my lifetime... I'm talking Centuries ago, possibly even Millennia ago... How exciting is THAT?

History has always fascinated me, and pre-history even more so. It's like an ancient CSI case. There's nothing to go on except the scientific evidence!

My mission (should I choose to accept it - which I already have) is to develop an activity day for school children, which links science to history, to be delivered at the local museum... I sense fun times ahead...

Here's to a creative, sciencey, historical, educational and fun 2012!

It's Not What You Know... It's Who You Know... AND What You Know!

The last couple of weeks have been very interesting in terms of making contacts.
As you may have gathered, I am extremely keen on educating the masses, especially children and young people, on the value of Science. The main focus so far has been to reach my target audience through schools and children's parties.
It was through a jovial Christmas catch up with a friend that a whole new market was revealed to me...
The friend in question works for The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, and suggested that maybe local museums would be interested in my services. As soon as she mentioned this, I realised that I had been missing a trick. I had been thinking 'inside the box'. I had neglected to think about where my services could be appreciated in a wider sense.

What was I thinking?

Why had I not thought of this before?

Science links to pretty much everything (at least it does in my opinion, but then I may be a little biassed!).
Museums... Oh YES! What a brilliant idea!

I LOVE museums (see my previous post about museums in London). I love History. I love Archaeology. I have always been fascinated by the scientific processes involved in trying to interpret the past of our ancestors. Without an understanding of our past we cannot hope to move forward with any real purpose.
As part of my degree (at the University of Sheffield) I took every opportunity to expand my knowledge by using my 'free' credits to study units which would complement my course of study (Genetics), and would also offer me something a little different in order to broaden my areas of expertise. I chose to study Archaeological Science as part of this, despite the fact that I had (on paper) overlapping practical classes. The intention was that I would finish my 3 hour Genetics practical (2-5 p.m.) an hour early, in order to attend the 2 hour Archaeology practical (4-6 p.m.). Some weeks this worked. Other weeks I had to run into the Archaeology practical late, breathless, and apologising profusely! Thankfully, it all worked out OK in the end!

My interest in Archaeological Science has never waned.

As a result of that chat with an old friend (apologies to the friend concerned - I know you're younger than me! Perhaps 'long-standing' would have been a better turn of phrase?) I was inspired to contact The Collection, Lincoln, and have a meeting lined up for next week.

Here's hoping that this leads to lots of fun activities for kids to engage them with science, an interest in their past, and an appreciation of the value of museums and art galleries.