Rotary science event is out of this world

Photo: Students from Valley School in Nottinghamshire take part in scientific experiments with Dr John Kilcoyne (photo by Fergus Bennett) 

Research carried out by pupils taking part in this year’s Rotary's Excitement of Science project is being used to help scientists discover the truth about the universe.

Over the past five months,  thousands of school pupils from across the UK have been collecting information on supernovas which leading astrophysicists believe could hold the key to understanding more about the mysterious ‘Dark Matter’, thought to make up 70% of the universe.

Rotary’s Excitement of Science, run in partnership with the Royal Institution, gives young people the chance to get directly involved at the cutting-edge of science by helping schools to enhance their curriculum and engage students in a fun programme of original research with the world’s foremost scientific leaders and institutions.

Celebrating the International Year of Astronomy, this year’s project concerned the explosions of stars in our galaxy and beyond. Pupils analysed data from radio telescopes at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Manchester and the world’s largest robotically controlled optical telescope in the Canary Islands belonging to the Astrophysics Research Institute at Liverpool John Moores University.

A day of lectures and experiments in the prestigious Faraday Theatre at the Royal Institution on Tuesday June 23rd symbolised the conclusion of the research, which was collated and investigated by guest speakers Dr Tim O’Brien of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Manchester, and Professor Mike Bode and Dr Andy Newsam of the Astrophysics Research Institute at Liverpool John Moores University.

Dr Andy Newsam said: “We are on the eve of a new era in astronomy and physics, it’s very exciting. The truth is, everything we thought we knew about the universe may be wrong, we just don’t know. The next twenty or thirty years could see the laws of physics completely turned on their heads.”

Recent studies of supernovas have shown that the universe may be speeding up as it gets further away from us into what is being referred to as Dark Matter, going against everything physicists had previously held to be true.  

During the day, pupils helped the scientists pick out which supernovas deserved closer scrutiny in the quest to find out how the universe really works.

Rotarian and fellow scientist Bill Mullarkey said during the day: “What I love is that we have the leading scientists in the field in this room with us and they are openly saying ‘we don’t know’! This is what makes science so exciting, the journey into the unknown. Perhaps pupils’ findings will help us understand something that nobody in the world has ever understood before – the creation of knowledge, the first glimpse of a new horizon.

Co-organiser and Rotarian Mike Shaw said:  “The opportunity to take part in vibrant, exciting experiments and then watch their work reach its culmination at a venue which many regard as the Cathedral of Science is one of the most thrilling experiences any budding scientist could possibly wish. It gives them an excitement of science that most only experience after having completed their first degree at university.

“For many children, learning science can seem to be disconnected from reality rather than being part of the core of human knowledge. The Excitement of Science project, which Rotary organises jointly with the Royal Institution aims to communicate the thrill of research: students are not taught; they are those who by making discoveries teach the rest of us.

The day was kicked off with a fun and explosive demonstration of university-level chemistry by the highly entertaining Dr John Kilcoyne of the University of Sunderland with experiments that would frighten most parents, including exploding hydrogen-filled balloons and liquid nitrogen frozen bananas.

Rotary’s Excitement of Science, running since 2002, aims to make science interesting and attractive amongst school students and to encourage them to take up a career in science, technology and engineering. The programme also aims to help curious adults develop their understanding, and that of the community at large, about the process of scientific discovery. For more information, visit http://excitementofscience.org.

26/06/09