Barbara won the Phosphorous Zone back in June 2011. Since then she’s been putting her prize money to very good use:
On Saturday 10th March 2012 we held the first ever Luton Science Fair to coincide with National Science and Engineering week.
We organised 26 stalls covering nutrition, astronomy, robotics, space tourism, Mission to Mars, midwifery, sports therapy and environmental science (to name a few). Our Professors (4 of them) gave talks on the coral reefs, the science of secrecy, science and the Modern Olympics and Science and the Media.
We offered lab tours to the science, computing, TV and sports therapy labs. We finished with a presentation from Mad Science – I have now drunk dry ice and watched a grown man blast his face with a leaf blower (something you should see once in a lifetime at least).
The event was opened by our Vice Chancellor, The Mayor of Luton and the two MPs for Luton. We had good attendance with lots of enthusiasm from members of the public and staff alike.
I used the money to buy500 helium balloons decorated with designs created by the University of Bedfordshire MA Media Arts students who also created our www.lutonsciencefair.co.uk web site (which has been nominated for a prize), posters and fliers.
The unexpected benefits of the science fair – watching 8 children extract DNA from strawberries, looks of wonder and excitement, many of us going home with a bespoke DNA sequence bead bracelet and watching someone blow up (with a flame) sugar. We are planning the second Luton Science Fair and because of the IAS prize money we have started something wonderful for people of all ages (including staff and scientists at the University of Bedfordshire).
The money allowed us to plant a seed, communicate science in an interactive and fun way and I, among many, can’t wait for the second Luton Science Fair.
