On Friday 2 February Year 11 pupils travelled to the Apollo Victoria to take part in ‘Science Live!’ a series of annual events for GCSE Science pupils around the UK.
The show began with Professor Jim Al-Khalili encouraging the pupils to consider the real possibility of time travel and how, although it might sound far fetched, it can be explained by Physics using Einstein’s theories of relativity.
Professor Lord Winston showed everyone images and videos of embryos developing and they learned about the ethical considerations that are required of the future generation of genetic enhancement possibilities.
The class received tips for GCSE examination success from a GCSE examiner. Example tips for success were to revise (even for 5 minutes) after each lesson and to practice the calculations. The new Science GCSE papers all contain an element of mathematics and pupils need to show all their working out in a logical sequence on the paper as this can gain them valuable marks. For the questions on “Required Practicals” pupils need to remember that they may be asked all sorts of questions relating to practical tasks, such as how to assess risks, calculate, draw conclusions and evaluate data and methodology.
Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock (current presenter of BBC Four’s “Sky at Night”) talked about her journey from a dyslexic underachiever at school to a successful scientist. Her message was to have crazy dreams, work hard and take every opportunity given to you.
The day finished with a bang. Professor Andrea Sella of UCL showed the audience how they could melt dry ice if the pressure was high, only to explode the container in a very dramatic and loud demonstration!
