Taking a creative cut on science
by Michelle Millar
Planet SciCast isn't about persuading young people to take up science professionally, so much as convincing them that the tools science gives us are an extremely valuable way of looking at the world, says Jonathan Sanderson.
A valuable resource
Vacuum cleaner bazookas, boomerangs and Wild West fizz-outs are only a few of the exciting science demonstrations being carried out as part of a Planet SciCast - a new venture designed to encourage young people to make short films about science.
With a background in science television, including programmes such as Local Heroes, The Big Bang and How2, Planet SciCast founder, Jonathan Sanderson, says the venture was a natural progression in finding ways to pass on his enthusiasm for science.
Jonathan hopes to use the films to produce a classroom resource that is entertaining, while still being educational. He explains that students will be able to watch science experiments, which they might not otherwise get the chance to experience due to safety reasons or space limitations at schools.
"One of the early films we made was with Glasgow Science Centre, where we filmed one of their lecture demonstrations. It involved a couple of parabolic mirrors and an infrared light bulb and a mass of flash cotton [fibrous and fast-burning cotton]. When it heats up to a high enough temperature, it causes an explosion. It's pretty harmless, but it's not something you'd normally get to see in school."
Thinking creatively in the lab
Jonathan stresses there is an equal emphasis placed on science demonstration and artistic endeavour. "It's about taking something science-related and thinking about how you can treat it creatively - some ideas lend themselves to a bit more interpretation."
His current favourite is a Wild West duel between a student armed with a can of Pepsi and another student armed with Coca Cola. The film was made by students from Bridgewater School in Warrington to demonstrate the physics behind opening a can of shaken-up fizzy drink. One sprays everywhere and the other simply spurts, depending on whether you tap the top of the can before opening it.
"This is the type of thing that might be useful in a classroom environment, where in a minute and a half you can introduce a simple explanation of a fairly complex concept."
Lessons on ownership
The students are also gaining other important skills through their Planet SciCast experience, such as learning about ownership. Planet SciCast uses formal, contracted publication licenses, giving the students ownership of their films and teaching them about concepts of copyright law and licensing.
"Many of them already have Bebo or My Space pages and are publishing their digital photos on Flickr or uploading stuff to YouTube. Nobody thinks about who owns or retains control over what.
"That used to be fine, but we're all publishers now and we need to think a little bit about what we're giving away and whether we're happy to do that. A lot of the problem lies in knowing the correct language, so we're using Planet SciCast to start introducing the right sort of vocabulary."
Choosing your own path
Jonathan says his main goal with Planet SciCast isn't to convince young people to take up science professionally, so much as convince them that the tools science gives us, such as problem-solving and analytical skills, are an extremely valuable way of looking at the world.
"On a very simple level I think one of our jobs as educators is to try and put as many different types of influence in front of children and let them take from it what they will. For instance, I don't know whether what comes out of Planet SciCast in 20 years' time will be a child who is a leading particle physicist or a child who leads a revival of the western film genre.
"It's impossible to know what's going to capture any individual child, what's going to spur them to do something else, or what's going to be an influence on them for the rest of their lives.
"The more types of stimuli you can offer, the more chance you have of finding the thing that becomes their life's work - or something that sets them on a creative or dynamic path."
Planet SciCast launches on 27 April 2007.
Published April 2007
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