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Oxfordshire students take part in Science Fair at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

February 04, 2004

On Friday 6 February 120 Key Stage 3 students from 20 Oxfordshire schools will be taking part in the County Science Fair at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory as part of the Oxfordshire Science Festival. This exciting event will feature a variety of activities - from egg races and game shows to a 'Crystal Maze' challenge based on some of the research carried out at RAL. There will also be a chance for pupils to vote for their favourite science demo as performed by a selection of local 'Science and Engineering Ambassadors'.

The first task for the pupils will be to compete in an egg race and quiz run by the Oxford City Council Science Advisory Team. They will also be watching a game show performed by The Oxford Trust entitled 'Take a Chance on Me'. This will explore the role of maths as the language of science, with particular focus on the theme of luck, chance and probability. As part of the show all the students will be participating in the 'Million Dice Roll', a mass participation experiment being run all over the county during the Oxfordshire Science Festival, that tests how many 'sixes' you are likely to get when you roll ten dice (see www.oxtrust.org.uk/dice).

In addition CCLRC and Diamond Light Source Ltd will be running a variety of short workshops based on some of the research that is carried out at RAL. Students will be asked to find out certain answers during these activities and, if correct, these answers will allow them to solve a puzzle and win a prize. The workshops will explore weather, light, crystals, chocolate rocks and molecular models.

After lunch, the grand finale of the day will be the 'SEAs Jam', a show coordinated by The Oxford Trust and featuring a variety of local scientists and engineers who are part of the national Science and Engineering Ambassadors network - a joint DfES and DTI initiative. Each ambassador will perform a demonstration to the audience, which will then vote for their favourite in collaboration with a judging panel. Demonstrations will explore artificial tendons, memory metal, sewing machines for artificial arteries, the hole in the ozone layer and tricks with light and liquid nitrogen. The winning ambassador will receive 'The Oxford Trust's Instant Demo Kit' so they can continue to develop their new found skills.

Science and Engineering Ambassadors performing in the SEAs Jam are:
Victoria Coubro, Anson Medical
Chris Frost, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Mike Johnson, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Dimitris Karamichos, Institute of Orthopaedics
Vivienne Payne, University of Oxford
Pete Read, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

Oxford Centre For Innovation