BIG BANG! fair : Birmingham NEC - 19th March 2016

The Big Bang is a "A celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths for young people in the UK"

There were a large number of high profile exhibitors and I harvested their ideas while Phillip and Sean entertained themselves (mostly eating subway by the sounds of it)

I will just write up the highlights of what was most relevant to us here.

Operating Theatre Live

This was probably the most 'Thackray' of the exhibits.

 


There were 4 low tables set up at the front of their stand, two with a bissected head and brain to the side and two with a full digestive system. They were at child level with no barriers and they smelt really ripe (i was there at the end of the last day of the show). There were a couple of signs telling people to wash hands before eating, but nothing to stop people poking, licking or putting a bit in their pocket. There were staff there, but each table wasn't manned or monitored constantly. There were also NO signs saying what animal the organs were from - It was almost willingly allowing visitors to assume it was human. (not the head obviously - which is pictured below!)

Behind these tables was a replica operating theatre with several fake bodies (a bit like full body versions of Renaldo), with holes and animal organs inside. At set times, kids could put on gloves and aprons and take part in an 'operation'. 

It was incredibly immersive and used shock to good effect, but personally, I felt like the theatre of it devalued the learning a little bit. I don't know if I'm being a snob, but I would prefer to see a serious dissection where it is made clear that the organ comes from an animal and where the leaders are less like actors and talk to families more on the level.

They were getting an amazing response from visitors though, so I think I'm talking about personal preference here. 

NHS Careers Stand

This was amazing. It was sort of opposite to the operating theatre as it was quite dry, and you had to work a bit at engaging with the staff there, but they were so knowledgable and with a bit of digging they gave me some really fascinating information. 

They were also near the Institute For Physics in Medicine people who were great too. They had..

• One of those things for looking in your ear linked up to a big screen so you could see inside your ear
• a model fetus-in-tummy and ultrasound so you could do a scan and find out how the machine works
• an ambulance to look inside!!

British Psychological Society

This was also ace!

They had an experiment where you tried on different types of glasses that messed with your vision and then got you  to try and draw within the lines of shapes.

There was one brain trick which made you feel like your finger was being stretched, and one that made you feel like you had 6 fingers.

It was all better than I've made it sound here and I'm looking into getting some of the glasses.