This year holds a special treat for me, an excuse to get historical with my science. 2015 is the 350th anniversary of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, the longest running, dedicated science journal. My contribution to the celebrations is a new show, ‘Subliming the Ridiculous’.
In a flashback to 1665 the show focusses on the transition from alchemy to chemistry. As well as highlighting the good discoveries made in a period when few had a knowledge of science ,we peel back the veil of alchemy and the belief in the classical elements of earth, air, fire and water of the ancient Greek. Each element is disproved by a series of demonstrations and the characters who revealed the new knowledge.
The first outing for the show was just before Christmas at the invitation of the West Midlands Chemistry Teachers Centre. Four hundred, year eight students attended the inaugural performance in the Great Hall at Aston University. Many favourite demonstrations were included along with ones new to me, much to the delight of several teachers who have requested information on how to replicate them in the classroom.
I’ve launched the new show onto the festival circuit and there has been much interest. Hopefully, you’ll get a chance to see it near you. Keep an eye on the Events page. I’ve also registered it at the STEM Directories, but it hasn’t been made live yet. For now, contact me via the email button at the top of this page if you want more information.
In other news, many of you were disappointed to miss the performances of ‘Trusting Atoms’ back in 2014. However, the good news is that you can watch it on YouTube. There is a link on the Gallery page. Enjoy.