Science Week

Do you have a passion for Science, Engineering, Technology or Maths? Are you looking for hands-on ways to gain some really useful work experience in event management or education outreach?

We are looking for volunteers to join the Midlands Science Festival Team for a variety of tasks over the coming weeks and for Science Week itself which takes place from November 8th – 15th. Roles will include facilitating public event programmes, helping out at the festival, engaging people with Science Week and creating awareness and a good overall feeling about science.

We are encouraging students, scientists, engineers, parents, community workers and leaders to contact us if this sounds like something you might enjoy. So, if you are over 18 years old, hard-working and want the chance to meet like-minded people and attend fantastic events for free, we want to hear from you!

Don’t miss an opportunity to share your excitement for this fascinating subject and remember, you don’t have to be a scientist to volunteer with us. For information please contact Jackie Gorman on 05793 23902 or by email: jgorman@atlanticcorridor.ie

After many months of hard work and lots of fun and learning, we are finally here.

Kicking off tomorrow morning in Athlone Institute of Technology with our FameLab Showcase, we then have careers talks, insightful talks from expert speakers, demonstrations…there really is something for all ages. And remember….there is still time to book some of the activities, so check out the Events section now!

We would like to once again thanks all of our colleagues in Science Foundation Ireland for this opportunity as well as our corporate partners and not forgetting each and every presenter and host that we are working with to make the festival happen.

Looking forward to seeing and meeting as many people as possible to celebrate science..Don’t miss out!

We had great fun with Jonathan McCrea (Newstalk’s Futureproof/the Science Squad) and Professor Luke O’Neill (one of Irelands leading scientists) recently in the grounds of Trinity College Dublin for a Science Week photo-shoot..
But when we actually think about it, this photo really captures a lot of what Science Week is all about.  At the Midlands Science Festival, it is so important for us to try to inspire the youngest of minds and to allow them to see science as something fun and interesting and not something that is too difficult or complicated.

Young children are by nature very curious so the years of early childhood really are the perfect time to encourage a love of learning and especially a love for science. Always try to provide opportunities for your children to experience things in a hands-on way, increase their curiosity and see how much they will love it, as well as the time spent with you! My own love nothing more than a wander around the grounds of our local castle in their wellies or a family bike ride in Lough Boora where we happen to have a very special stargazing event this year!

Answer all of their little questions because children are constantly learning, as we should be too! Join us next week in celebrating science across the region, you never know what you might discover!

Last year we took note of some of the comments made by teachers who were fortunate to host a Science Week event in the Midlands as part of the Midlands Science Festival 2013. We hope teachers (and parents!) will be just as happy this year ….

‘A key goal of Science Week is to strengthen the attractiveness of science education through the use of exciting and innovative tools and ideas. Clearly, it is much easier to ignite school children’s interest in learning about science and nature when it is carried out in a more fun and engaging way. Therefore, we were delighted to be hosting the Reptile Village Zoo and its mobile demonstration team during the Midlands Science Festival.’

‘This is a real and tangible example of how we can teach children about the wonders of the world in a simple and hands-on way. It will hopefully instill in the young students a love of learning, particularly about science and the world around them.’

‘Children have a natural tendency towards exploration and discovery and now more than ever, it is so important to encourage them to be curious about nature and the world and to educate them on the importance of science in their everyday lives.’

‘Children learn best through doing and these types of workshops encourage hands-on participation and bring science to life, showing students just how much fun it can be. It will also hopefully encourage their curiousity about science and nature even more so going forward.’

Not long to go now…Find out just how much the ‘Power of Science’ is all around!

Blowing bubbles is something that reminds everyone of their childhood and it is a pastime that just never gets old!

We are delighted to confirm that Steve Allman is joining us once again at this year’s Midlands Science Festival. We can’t wait to see ‘The Bubble Show’ in November where a lucky school will find out how to make their own bubble mixture, see what happens as bubbles are filled with smoke and watch on in awe as huge bubbles float over their heads.

Some Facts:
Why Do Bubbles Burst? Anything that fractures the fragile layer of water molecules can cause a bubble to burst. For example, a gust of wind or an object (like your finger) will easily cause a bubble to burst. Also, a bubble will burst if enough of the water molecules evaporate

Did you know that the best recipe for bubbles is 95% water, 4% glycerine, 1% fairy liquid

The biggest free-floating soap bubble ever blown was 105.4 cubic feet. It could have held 788 gallons of water!

Once again, this is evidence that science really is all around us! We are so excited about the Bubble Show and plan to take some really good photos to capture the magic of the event…Roll on Science Week!

We are trying to build our collection of science facts in advance of ‘Science Week’ which takes place in November from the 9th to 16th.
We already have a number of great favourite science facts which were submitted by some of our key speakers such as the following :

– The human body has ten times more bacteria cells than human cells.
– A neutron star (what remains after a Super Nova) is so dense that a portion of it the size of a sugar cube would weigh as much as all of humanity
– In 1941, penicillin was first used to treat a bacterial infection in a human being. However, because there was such a small supply of penicillin available at the time, all of the patient’s urine was collected and the excreted penicillin was extracted from the urine and re-administered to the patient!

We would love to hear yours! Please contact us and tell us something really interesting about science. It can be anything science-related because science is all around us in so many aspects of every day life. We look forward to hearing from you…..

You can email: Gillian Maunsell – gmaunsell@atlanticcorridor.ie