Hair-raising thrills at science fair
How's this for a hair-raising experience? Liz Nash, 20, was one of thousands of young people enjoying the country's biggest science and engineering fair in the West Midlands.
She was trying out a Van de Graaff static electricity generator, one of the many exhibits at The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Fair at the NEC in Birmingham.
Hundreds of children from Shropshire are among those attending the event, which is expecting to welcome more than 75,000 people over three days.
During the event youngsters aged between seven and 19 are able to take part in a number of fun events including the "Kaboom'"show, hosted by TV science presenter Greg Foot which explored the anatomy of an explosion and the chemistry of gunpowder. For those more interested in their stomachs, TV presenter Stefan Gates took visitors on an interesting journey into the science of their lunch, were they could see rockets, edible insects, flatulence and more loud explosions.
Paul Jackson, chief executive of The Big Bang, said: "This year is set to be one of the biggest and most exciting years yet – with registration numbers at a record high. The Big Bang Fair is more than just a fun day out.
"It gives young people the chance to speak to leading scientists and engineers and to see for themselves the range of exciting careers that their science and maths subjects can lead to."
The show also hosts the finals of the National Science and Engineering Competition where students from across the UK compete against each other to claim one of the most prestigious science and engineering honours for young people.
Guests could also try their hands at bouncing across the surface of Mars on a simulator, building bridges out of chocolate, and learning all about the human body. More than 200 organisations and a variety of experts were also on hand to talk to visitors about the latest technological and scientific breakthroughs and explain what the future holds.
The overall aim of the fair is to encourage young people to consider a career in science and engineering and highlight the exciting possibilities that exist in each of the subjects. The three- day fair continues until Saturday when families will have a chance to try some of the activities. Details at www.thebigbangfair.co.uk
