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Physics on Stage 3: the Eurovision Song Contest for physics?

November 12, 2003

You might see it as the physics equivalent of the Eurovision Song Contest offering superficial, easily digested gee-whizz physics. But Physics on Stage 3 gives physicists, teachers and science communicators a unique opportunity to showcase the most exciting, fun and innovative ideas happening across Europe. The focus of Physics on Stage 3 is the international festival held at ESA-ESTEC (European Space Agency - European Space & Technology Centre) in Noordwijk, The Netherlands between 8 - 15 November 2003 during European Science Week, following activities in the 22 participating countries.

The theme of this year's festival is 'The Physics of Life', The UK team have been thrilled to have many of its nominations accepted for the international programme. There are five sections of the festival: performances, presentations, workshops, seminars and the fair.

The selected showcase performances "where you can just sit back and enjoy the entertainment" involve professional science communicators and students.

The UK peformance, MUT, is a drama developed by the acclaimed Landau Forte Youth Theatre from Landau Forte College in Derby. MUT uses drama, music and physical theatre to explore the nature of sound introducing a genetics theme.

Tony Coffey, drama teacher at Landau Forte, who will be accompanying the 16 Derbyshire school students, explains: "From the moment early humans responded to sound for its own sake, we follow the adventures of 'MUT' - short for Mutant - on a journey through time, and space. We also consider the role of music to human culture and our aesthetic response to sound. Narrating and managing our journey is a scientist called Gene (as in lamp), who directs the action with a remote control. This facilitates demonstrations in mime and freeze frame, and some time to consider the science as the narrative unfolds. The chorus use Boom Whackers as the only prop. These are plastic tubes that produce a specific pitch when hit against a firm surface. These resonating tubes not only make music but represent all sorts of objects that make an appearance in our epic tale. Through movement and demonstration we aim to explain the science of sound and its behaviour in our plastic tubes.

"There is a deeper theme that we develop increasingly in our piece of music drama and that is Genetics. As our time line moves from the past into the future, what impact could this have on the development of music and its role? In many ways music mirrors the concept of mutation and the development of the human species. There are some interesting outcomes as our scientist ever more frequently interferes with the mechanics of the music production and endeavours to design the sound experience."

Dr Liz Swinbank, from the University of York Science Education Group, will be leading a group of physics teachers who have enjoyed teaching 'Good Enough to Eat' as part of the Salters Horners A-level Physics course. Their presentation "Food for Life - Physics of Food" not only involves a series of fun demonstrations, but includes audience participation comparing the differing mechanical properties of confectionery.

Peter Campbell who is working at the Nuffield Curriculum Centre on the new 21st Century Science GCSE courses will be one of the leaders of a workshop considering "New Approaches to Teaching", and Laura Grant, a PhD student in Science Communication at Liverpool University, and Wendy Sadler, a freelance science communicator, are collaborating with European colleagues facilitate a "Performance Physics" workshop.

The final, and some would say most influential, part of the Physics on Stage programme is the Fair. Each country is invited to send a team of delegates who are practising teachers. For UK teachers, getting a week's leave from school in the middle of November required considerable support from their senior management, yet applications for the 32 delegate places were competitive. Chaired by Peter Main, Director of Education and Science at the Institute of Physics, the UK steering committee had some difficult choices. With teachers from Northern Ireland and Scotland to Devon, from a huge range of different types of schools, the one thing they will all have in common is an infectious enthusiasm for physics teaching.   Most of the teachers will be bringing small demonstrations and ideas for teaching activities to share on the UK stand at the fair. Everyone will be eagerly swapping ideas with colleagues from the other 21 delegations.

Physics on Stage 3 is a collaborative project between seven major European research organisations, collectively known as EIROforum, and the European Commission, in the framework of the European Science and Technology Week 2003. The EIROforum includes the original organisers of Physics on Stage (ESA, ESO and CERN), joined by four more organisations (EMBL, EFDA, ESRF and ILL),   Collectively, these organisations represent the rapidly evolving frontline of European scientific and technological research. PoS3 will feature seminars from some of the best communicators amongst EIROforum's top scientists.


MUT will be on Thursday 13 November
Food for Life - Physics of Food will be on Wednesday 12 November

Bonn, Universitaet