The secrets of science

From the head to the heart, the secrets of science will be revealed at event for Fife senior school pupils at the University of St Andrews today (Tuesday 12 June).

The Fife Secondary Schools Science Fair 2012 – for pupils from Madras College in St Andrews and Waid Academy in Anstruther – will involve a series of exciting demonstrations for keen young scientists at the School of Physics & Astronomy.

In the fourth year of this highly successful event, there will be a huge range of sessions and practical workshops from talks on “The Seedy Underbelly of Your Smile” from Cupar dentist Margaret Martin, to a session on the field of neuroscience by Dr Gareth B. Miles of the School of Biology covering “brain basics.”

Other workshops will include a look at how the heart, lungs and circulatory system works, by Mr Henry Rae of the Bute Medical School, and how individual seals are identified by their markings by Dr Paddy Pomeroy of the award-winning Sea Mammal Research Unit.

Robots, creating electronic rainbows, veterinary studies, monitoring volcanoes and the mysteries of the sun will all be revealed by some of the University’s leading experts and researchers.

How whales communicate under the sea, and the risk human noise poses to them, will be the key lecture by Peter Tyack, Professor of Marine Mammal Biology.

The Dean of Science, Professor Malcolm MacLeod, said: “The Science Fair represents an invaluable opportunity for school pupils to engage, at first hand, with some of the world’s leading researchers and to appreciate the excitement associated with doing science”.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

A photo opportunity with some pupils will be available at 10.40am in the foyer of the Physics building at the North Haugh.

Alternatively contact the press office for images.

Issued by the Press Office, University of St Andrews
Contact Fiona MacLeod on 01334 462108/ 0771 414 0559.
Ref: (science fair 12/06/12)