Ignition

Report of the Grand Engineering Day Out

The winning team from Invent! 08, Newbridge High School in Coalville, travelled down to London on 2 October to claim their prize – a visit to the creative science lab of materials scientist, Dr Mark Miodownik...

Mark has the great job of finding new materials and compounds from labs all over the world, which he then brings back to his lab at Kings College, London University to test their properties and discover new applications.

The team from Newbridge then took a spin on the London Eye, in an exclusive pod, and calculated the speed of the big wheel with the help of Ignition* Creative Spark and maths student, Jane Aston.

It was on to the Imperial War Museum for the James Bond exhibition - where science and espionage cross over. We believe that the spooks from Newbridge did receive their assignments before heading home.

Following the team from Newbridge was student STEM journalist Amy Moore... her report follows.....

The Grand Engineering Day Out

First prize for inventors from Newbridge School

Invent!

On the third of July six schools competed in a challenge to test their inventiveness, an event run by Ignite! as a pilot to the Ignition* programme, the winners were Newbridge School with their ingenious contraption for bursting a balloon. Their prize was a day out in London, with the opportunity to visit a materials science lab, the London Eye and the Imperial War Museum, home to some of the most impressive and lethal machines ever made.

Supercool Materials

First stop for the day — King’s College, here the students were introduced to the robotic receptionist, Inkha, who falls asleep if no one pays attention to her and Mark, a material engineer, who took the students to see his lab.

The students were amazed by the sheer number of materials represented by the cubes and vials across the shelves and cup boards, but were blown away by the demonstrations; he poured liquid nitrogen across the floor chilling everyone's feet and froze a banana solid, before shattering it on the bench, made a lead bell (notoriously silent) ring by cooling it and turning a gel into a spiky solid by applying a magnet. Throughout he demanded that the students thought like scientists and asked him to prove everything he was doing, “Do you believe me?” he’d say and when he got a reply “no!” he would explain about the material and how it was discovered.

As well as introducing the students to some cool engineering they got the chance to experience a university, which all of the students really enjoyed.

Up and Away!

After a mad dash from Kings College, everyone got to the private capsule on time, once securely in the students retrieved their guides to find the famous architectural landmarks visible from the sky—St Pauls cathedral, the Houses of Parliament, BT tower and more. As the capsule approached the radius Jane, a “Creative Spark” for Ignite! got the student to do a bit of A-level maths, impressive stuff for high school students, after going through the equation, and making estimates, the team found the speed to be 0.6mph, the same speed as quoted on the London Eye website!

The Name’s Bond...

The Imperial war museum is an imposing building; as you approach you are confronted by cannons and entering the building you are surrounded by fighter planes, tanks and bombs. It is a incredible visualization of what engineering can achieve, and the power of destruction now held by mankind.

After checking out the atrium exhibits the students were taken into the 007 exhibition “For your eyes only: Ian Fleming and James Bond”, giving an insight into Ian Fleming’s life and his inspiration for Bond, with real letters and telegrams (including one signed by Stalin) from the time, and props from the films.

The gift shop provided opportunities to become a spy yourself, with laser torches, mirrored spy glasses and DIY periscopes.

The Day's End

The Grand Engineering Day Out aimed to be a fun and interesting day as a prize for winning Invent!

So, did they have a good day?

“Yes!”

When asked what their favourite part of the day was, the resounding answer was “all of it!”, and they definitely seemed keen to go to university after spending time at King’s College.

To make the day as interesting as possible Ignite! tried to give the students a taste of real world engineering and as part of this Ignite! will be working with Newbridge School to organize an opportunity for the parents of these students to discuss what they thought their children got out of the event.

"Our aim is to change perception in STEM subjects... not just in students, but in parents as well" Rick Hall Director of Programmes for Ignite!

Amy Moore

Student Journalist