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National Science and Engineering Week 2010
Hands-on learning about the structure of the heart
Around 275 pupils from local schools took part in a wide range of activities offered by Lancaster University's Science and Technology departments as part of National Science and Engineering Week 2010.
The week began with a session all about maths and magic where pupils were shown how probability and maths shaped the world of magic tricks. The presenter, Adam Boddison (Further Maths Network), even managed to predict the lottery numbers!
A Biology session, Have you ever wondered what is in blood?, gave pupils the opportunity to find out about the different kinds of cells in sheep blood and what they do. Attendees investigated the structure of the heart and saw some abnormal blood smears which could be interpreted by hospital scientists to diagnose disease.
An emergency response activity from LEC set pupils the challenge of dealing with an oil tanker fire in the local area. As the students mobilised to calculate weather conditions, potential road cordons and the chemical composition of the spillage, the clock was ticking.
With communication via walkie talkies and written emails the Silver Control team were able to control the situation and ensure the public were made aware of the incident and potential threat. The pupils involved rose to the challenge to avert the danger and enjoyed a fun-packed session that demonstrated real life issues.
Three schools took part in this year's Rocket Challenge day (Engineering and Physics) with a team representing Kirkbie Kendal School finishing the day as winners. In windy conditions their rocket flew well over the 50m mark and after scoring well in a dragons den style interview and on their design, they were well deserved winners.
On Thursday pupils from Lancaster Girls Grammar school had the opportunity to find out about new technologies and novel mobile phone games when spending the day with Computing and Communication Systems. The students took part in a digital treasure hunt using GPS signals to locate the various clues and were able to see the latest research including a multi touch interactive table.
The final offering of the week saw students from Carnforth High school learning all about Psychology. They had the chance to talk to University researchers and looked at the scientific study of the mind, brain and behaviour in small groups.
Electric Earth Lecture
Following on from a successful debut at the Big Bang Festival, Dr Jim Wild presented his Electric Earth lecture to around 150 pupils on Friday afternoon. Through a series of demonstrations and examples Jim showed the students that the earth is alive with electricity; from the Northern lights to a glowing gherkin!
The lecture was filmed - click on the movie below to watch it.
Huge thanks go to all the schools and staff who were involved in the week.
Watch Online
Fri 26 March 2010
Associated Links
- National Science and Engineering Week - an opportunity for people of all ages, areas and organisations to take part in science, engineering and technology activities
- National Science and Engineering Week 2010 images
- NSEW 2010 events at Lancaster - events at Lancaster's Faculty of Science and Technology as part of National Science and Engineering Week 2010
- Science and Technology Schools Programme - find out more about activities for schools run by Lancaster University's Faculty of Science and Technology
Latest News
Lancaster set to receive funding boost to stimulate UK's economy
Lancaster is amongst leading universities who are set to benefit from a £50 million investment in cutting-edge research and innovation projects to drive growth. Lancaster's project will use the strong international reputation and links in China, in particular with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to address the Government's priorities to focus on high-growth SMEs and to increase exports. Using expertise from across the University, it focuses on improved leadership and new technology...
Story supplied by LU Press Office
Fri 17 May 2013
Billion-year-old water could hold clues to life on Earth and Mars
A UK-Canadian team of scientists has discovered ancient pockets of water, which have been isolated deep underground for billions of years and contain abundant chemicals known to support life.
Story supplied by LU Press Office
Thu 16 May 2013
How do we find out about cyber criminals?
Security Lancaster and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics held a workshop to form a new collaborative group who will widen the knowledge of cybercrime and start developing innovative approaches to obtaining information on cyber criminals. The workshop included security researchers and statisticians, solicitors specialising in cybercrime, and experts from government agencies.
Thu 16 May 2013
First, carbon footprints... now you can calculate your 'nitrogen footprint'
Scientists at Lancaster, Virginia and Oxford universities have produced a web-based tool that allows anyone living in the UK to see their own 'nitrogen footprint'.
Story supplied by LU Press Office
Wed 15 May 2013