British Science Week

Science is at the heart of many walks of life. Given the energy crisis, the rise of AI and the UK COVID-19 inquiry, the importance of science is hard to downplay. Someone even suggested I engage ChatGPT to produce this write-up, though anyone deploying ZeroGPT would realise that I decided to go ‘old school’!

British Science Week, run by the British Science Association, is a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, featuring entertaining and engaging events and activities across the UK to help raise awareness and spark enthusiasm in people of all ages. This importance is not lost on the government of the day as they seek to position the UK as a science and technology superpower.

IT kicked off the week, when students in the First Year took on Sixth Formers in a challenge to navigate a maze with an autonomous robot. Using a micro:bit and the MakeCode block language, each team attempted to program their robot to execute the correct sequence of instructions to find their way through the maze. The teams were up against it time wise but worked hard using trial and error to refine their robot instructions. The Sixth Formers attempted to make use of the robot’s ultrasonic sensor but, in the end, it was the simpler sequence approach of First Year Luke Samms that won the day and got furthest through the maze. Well done to everyone involved: hopefully some students left inspired to explore robotics further at Digital Makers’ Club.

The Physics Department followed this up with a session on the engineering of tall buildings. The theme this year was ‘Tall Structures’. Structures are any system that resists vertical or horizontal loads, including large items such as skyscrapers, bridges and dams, as well as small items such as bookshelves, chairs and windows.

Teams were given the task of building a tall structure using a very limited selection of straws, toothpicks, barbecue skewers, marshmallows and the ever-popular Jelly Babies.

They analysed the types of structures and considered means of strengthening their design so that it could be both tall and sturdy, using the materials in a short time.

Students then had the opportunity to see how Chemistry relates to their other subjects by following a trail around the school.

Biology rounded off the week by investigating how insects breathe. Some of our Fourth Year students came to see Mr Rodgers explain how the tracheal system delivers oxygen to cells rather than lungs or gills. They then watched the dissection of a locust’s abdomen and carried this out themselves before using binocular microscopes and viewing the tracheal system.

Mr I Deepchand

I Head of

Physics (with Dr L Winning, Head of Chemistry and Mr M Rodgers, Head of Biology)