Back To Things That Go BANG!

It’s been a time of change for me as I move solely from my long term position in psychology and neuroscience to take up the position of the Byrne Outreach and Student Liaison Officer in the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham.

I’m going to be delivering outreach activities with local schools and training students and staff to develop creative sessions. It’s nice to be wading through the physical sciences in such a direct manner. Any excuse to make things go bang again.

For the interview I was supposed to prepare a ten minute presentation appropriate to year 10 pupils. However, I couldn’t do just that; not without an activity in it. So my audience (who were not the year 10’s I expected to find, but the interview panel) ended up building hydrogen generators out of plastic cups and drawing pins. It also gave me the opportunity to bring out the bigger version of my water electrolysis unit I built from bits I bought from Poundland. It’s really pretty and I get plenty of hydrogen from it. I was good and didn’t light any gas though. Maybe next time.

Speaking of things that go Bang, news just in! I’m going to be joining my fellow presenters in the BBC Science Zone at the Cheltenham Science Festival again. We’ll be in Imperial Square between the 7th and 9th of June 2013. While you may require tickets for some events at the festival, you will always be able to be entertained and learn some wonderful science from the buskers at the BBC science zone tent, for free. As an extra special treat I’ve included some new videos from working with the BBC last year, on the Media page.