New Science at the Devon County Show

This year it was all change for Science at the 2011 Devon County Show.  After many years as ‘Science WithIntent’, the hands-on science activities moved to a bigger Marquee in collaboration with Exeter City of Science.  The organisations taking part included Devon EBP, North Wyke Research, Exeter Science Park, The MET Office and the Peninsula Medical School.  The very full tent certainly attracted a crowd, with something to interest everyone!

Volunteers from the Institute of Physics, very ably assisted by some super enthusiastic Y11 & 12 students and staff from Colyton Grammar School, entertained passers by with a variety of hands-on physics activities.  Simple and fun science experiments, like poking a kebab stick through a balloon (without bursting it!) and upending a glass full of water without spilling a drop(with the aid of just a hankerchief), went down well with all ages, as ever…

New to the Show this year were two of the newly developed ‘creative physics’ activities – ‘Design A Planet’ & ‘Create a Particle Collision’.  These craft-based activities were a real hit with families, who made almost 500 planets and 400 particle mobiles, whilst discovering a bit more about gas-giants & rocky planets, as well as tiny sub-atomic particles.  We don’t think anyone found the Higgs Boson, but there were certainly no shortage of names for new planets which might be discovered in future…

Over the 3 days almost 1,500 people took part in the physics activities alone, with many more visiting the marquee to talk to the other exhibitors.  If the interest shown here is anything to go by, Exeter truly is a City of Science!

Many thanks to all the IOP volunteers and a huge well-done to the students & staff from Colyton Grammar, whose enthusiasm & hard work were a real credit to the school!