Bengaluru: One would wonder what happens at a Science Circus. “Experiments, interaction, learning and fun,” answers the scientist duo, who won hearts at the Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technological Museum auditorium on Tuesday.
Researchers from the Australian National University (ANU), Dr Graham Walker and Dr Stuart Kohlhagen, were seen breaking down scientific concepts in the span of an hour. Their props included marshmallows, water, a basketball, soft toys, eggs and liquid nitrogen – the show-stopper.
“Experiments are the perfect excuse to make if you are unsure about something,” began Dr Walker. “Good scientists notice things that other people find difficult to see,” he continued, inspiring the audience to have a keen eye to catch the tricks explained on stage. With students being called on the stage for each demonstration, interactions made the session more effective.
The students were kept busy the whole hour with questions and fun-filled activities. “The workshop made me discover that taking a different route to think would offer solutions faster,” said Govinda Madhava, a student from JVVP School.
Dr Kohlhagen, addressing the teachers, said that the best way out to make students understand concepts was to get them thinking. “Stand back to think if there can be a solution before trying ways to solve a problem. It is all about re-imagining a problem-solving technique.” The researchers’ style of connecting science to everyday experiences was the major takeout for the teachers. “The session inspired us to try novel ways to keep the class attentive. The concept of parallel computing is something that I’ll bring into practice from today,” said Ms Hina Hayath, a teacher from Delhi Public School (South).
