Taking science onto the streets (From The Bolton News)

Taking science onto the streets

1:00pm Monday 16th November 2009 in

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SCIENCE has a reputation for being “geeky”, but a Westhoughton man has travelled 6,000 miles in his quest to overturn that image.

David Price, who lives in Westhoughton, has won plaudits for his “science busking”, which makes science exciting to children by showing them experiments including how to skewer and inflate a balloon without popping it and how to create a vortex using two plastic drinks bottles.

Now science communications company, Science Made Simple, and the British Council have sent David and his colleague, Huw James, to Hong Kong to perform an interactive show about science engineering in schools at the Hong Kong Science Museum.

David, aged 43, uses the same techniques as busking musicians — who take their shows out onto the streets — to get the message across that science can be fun.

“The way I think of it is as taking everyday items that have some unusual science behind them and using that to break down the barriers between science and the public,” he said. “It’s a very personal thing — you’re showing it to individuals or small groups.

“We tell people it’s OK to play, to have a very inquisitive attitude and to use that to explore the world around you.”

He has taken the show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and won The Josh Award for innovation in science communication at this year’s Manchester Science Festival.

David says part of the key to his success lies in the fact that he did not take a “traditional” route into science, instead studying English and history at university before working in industry and eventually becoming an exhibition builder at the Museum of Science and Industry.

He was then asked to open and run the northern office of Science Made Simple, which provides science shows for schools and trains science buskers.

He also says the tradition “don’t try this at home” warning does not apply to his shows.

“As much as possible we want people to watch us then try the experiments themselves at home,” he said.

Anyone interested in becoming a science busker can contact David via sciencemadesimple.co.uk