A 10-day celebration of research, innovation and science, came to Sheffield, hoping to inspire future generations.
Coinciding with the 31st British Science Week (7-16 March), the University of Sheffield created an exhibition designed to get people of all ages thinking about the world of light in a different way.
Luisa Aguolmine, 21, a student-volunteer said: “You come to events like this and realise all kids are little scientists.
“You watch the kids playing, but what they are really doing is science experiments. They just don’t know it.”
LightFest, held at the Millennium Gallery had a range of interactive stalls, designed by researchers.
The exhibition started by explaining the basics of light before moving onto explaining more complex theories.
Professor Jenny Clark, organiser of LightFest, said: “We wanted to use this research to bring our wonder with light to the public.”
One stall focused on how solar energy will be used in the future as a more sustainable power source.
Credit: Matt Black
To explain this to the young visitors, staff used small solar-powered toy cars that could be raced when a torch was held above them.
Bethany Johnson, 19, another student-volunteer said: “Some of the kids were really experimenting with the toy cars, discovering what happens if you move the torch or if you use a bigger light, which has been really great to see.”
Credit: Matt Black
In recent years, there has been an added emphasis on embedding change across the perception of STEM among younger generations, including the image of a stereotypical scientist.
Organised by the British Science Association (BSA), British Science Week offered events across the country, based on the theme of ‘Change and Adaptation’.
“There are women out there looking out for other women in STEM and making sure we have equal opportunities”
Professor Kevin Fenton, President of the BSA, said: “Science cannot be truly beneficial for all of society if all of society is not represented in science.”
Reflecting on this, Miss Johnson said: “I want to prove that women can do things in STEM, but it is always harder, confidence-wise.”
Miss Aguolmine added: “We are really lucky because one of our lecturers mentioned this opportunity.
“There are women out there looking out for other women in STEM and making sure we have equal opportunities.”
