Recent times have seen me pondering the things I really like to do. Regular followers will be familiar with my fascination with the history of science and how the simple aspects of solid scientific principles were first encountered. This, dressing up and performing science demonstrations all seem to have struck a chord with me; so much so that I’ve done it again with a replay of the Greatest Smell on Earth experiment, thanks to the support of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Hereford Sixth Form College.
So it didn’t quite work as well as it did the first time for any number of possible reasons. The audience were different from the original mixture of families. Only the younger members experienced phantom olfaction, imagining they could smell something by suggestion. Also, it kind of helps if the BBC turn up and film it with you like they did the first time. Never mind, I have some new ideas about how to present some of these concepts.
In preparation for this event my thoughts went to the itinerant scientists of the period of the enlightenment. Think of the famous, An Experiment on a Bird in an Air Pump by Joseph Wright of Derby but with much less grey hair or crinoline.
However, I love the thought of conducting my science demonstrations in this fashion so much that I’ve launched a new initiative, Wood’s World of Wonders. Available for corporate or public events, parties for children, whatever you have in mind. Themed around your needs, but always conducted with an air of flamboyance and showmanship of the 18th and 19th Century. Learn and be entertained. Discover the marvels of the natural philosophy as it was discovered. Roll up! Roll Up! If you want to get a taste of what to expect, check out the pictures in the gallery page or go to www.woodsworldofwonders.com for more information.