In my role as Regional Coordinator for North-West England like Linsey (who posted earlier this month) I visit many educational events and competitions in my region.  Before this role I was already a very active STEM ambassador taking part in the Manchester Science Festivals and other events, including BBC’s Wallace and Gromit World of Invention Roadshow.  
 

The other week I was able to combine my RSC role with my experience of science festivals at the BBC’s Bang Goes the Theory LIVE in Sheffield. 

We demonstrated the importance of oxygen to reactions, floated bubbles on CO2, and showed how two compounds with seemingly little or no difference in structure can have very different smells.  
 

When these simple experiments were explained to the general public they could physically see that CO2 is heavier than air, due to the air bubbles floating on top of the layer of CO2 produced by the dry ice at the bottom of the container.

I think science busking highlights that an experiment can, like a picture, say a thousand words, but stay with you for longer and help break down the perception that all science is hard and impossible to understand.  
 

With this in mind, and given the falling number of experiments being conducted in schools, the RSC are trying to increase the confidence of chemistry teachers by providing the Chemistry for Non-Specialists and NQT CPD courses and making available over a hundred of the course experiments on the Learn Chemistry website, including all the health and safety notes.  
 

If you just want to do some experiments at home why not have a go at the Global Experiment, and if you’re in the Poole area this Saturday, Sunday and Monday (2nd, 3rd and 4th June) head along to the final Bang Goes the Theory LIVE roadshow of 2012 at the Lighthouse. 

Kat
 

Kat Presland is RSC Regional Coordinator for North West England and works with the education team. Contact her at katayune.presland@manchester.ac.uk