Here's what we have in store for your future scientists this week...
EVERYDAY
MYSTERIES
Electricity powers almost every part of modern life, but where does it come from? Our scientists will tackle this mystery by exploring the strange partnership between electricity and magnetism. We will discover that electricity is simply the flow of electrons, much like water flowing through a river, carrying energy as it moves. Using magnets, wires, and hand-cranked generators, we will see how moving one can create the other, a principle first uncovered by the pioneers of electromagnetism. From spinning turbines to wind, steam, and even pedal power, we will explore the many ways humans generate electricity on a grand scale! It turns out that behind every flicked switch lies a world of spinning magnets, moving electrons, and ingenious engineering.
A FANTASTIC
VOYAGE WITHIN
Our Fantastic Voyage will carry us into the highways of the human body this week as we explore the circulatory system and discover how blood delivers vital supplies to every cell. Peering at blood beneath the microscope, we’ll uncover its many components and learn how each plays a role in keeping us alive. We’ll then trace blood’s route through arteries, veins, and capillaries before turning our attention to the mighty heart itself. Using models and DIY pumps, we’ll recreate the heart’s powerful double-pump system and see how this tireless organ keeps blood moving day and night. Finally, with stethoscopes in hand, our young medics will listen to their own heartbeats and measure how exercise sends the circulatory system racing into action!
CHEMISTRY IN
PLAIN SIGHT
Can we find chemistry in the wardrobe? You bet we can! The dyes that colour our fashion choices have been highly coveted throughout history, so much so that the Romans would drain the glands of 150,000 snails to colour one imperial purple robe! Since this was far from efficient, the race was on to produce more cost-effective dyes for the masses. And with the advent of these synthetic dyes came serendipitous advances in chemistry, biology and medicine. This week, we will explore the chemical utility of such dyes, using them to visualise how acids and bases interact across pH levels and then squeeze out all the colours of the rainbow from a single dye in our unicorn bottle experiment.
