About this day
Welcome to GCSE Science in Action!
Join us for the ultimate science enrichment day for KS4 students and kick of British Science Week in style! Through five interactive and highly engaging sessions your students will deepen their understanding of key scientific principles and discover the wonder of science.
Our talented speakers from academia and industry will wow audiences with incredible insights into their work and inspire students to become the scientists of the future. A special session on examination success will ensure students are equipped with the tools they need to excel in their GCSE Science exams.
There will be plenty of interactivity throughout the day, with polls, quizzes and (of course) your chance to question the scientists – join us at GCSE Science in Action and prepare to be amazed.
Programme & speakers
Sliced Bread Greg Foot, Science Presenter and Communicator
We are constantly bombarded with adverts hyping up the latest wonder-products promising to make us happier, healthier or greener… But what are the facts behind the fads? Join BBC Science Journalist Greg Foot, host of the popular ’Sliced Bread’ podcast, to investigate whether a batch of these wonder-products really are the best thing since Sliced Bread?
About Greg Foot
Greg is a Science Journalist who has been writing, hosting & producing science content for 15+ years across TV, Radio, YouTube, Podcast, & Stage. He currently writes & hosts his popular BBC 4 show and podcast Sliced Bread and is a regular on BBC Morning live.
A Solar Symphony: Unearthing the secret vibrations of our Sun Tishtrya Mehta, University of Warwick
Helioseismology is the science of Earthquakes on the Sun. In this session we will discover the harmonies that orchestrate the celestial dance of our own star, revealing insights into its composition, structure, and evolution. Prepare to be mesmerized by the captivating melodies of our Sun and other stars.
About Dr Tishtrya Mehta
Tish is an astrophysicist who specialises in helioseismology, the study of the ‘music’ made by stars like the Sun. She also investigates the subtle variations in star brightness, which could unlock insights into space weather and potential threats from the cosmos.
Tickets for the Ark Rebecca Nesbit, Ecologist, Author and Science Communicator
Today, over a million species are teetering on the edge of extinction. No-matter what we do, we can’t save them all. But how do we decide who we help survive, and who we allow to disappear forever? In this thought-provoking session Rebecca will explore whether bees really are better than wasps, and if having fewer trees could reduce climate change.
About Dr Rebecca Nesbit
Rebecca is an ecologist with a PhD in butterfly migration. She enjoys exploring the ethical questions that science raises. Her most recent popular science book, Tickets for the Ark, explores conservation dilemmas from around the world and was named New Scientist Book of the Year 2022.
Worth Dyeing For - The Colourful Creation of Organic Chemistry Alex Baker, University of Warwick
Dyes and paints have been used for millennia, but where do the chemicals that make colours come from? How has their use shaped history and how did a few chemists change the world forever? From cave-paintings to blue jeans to antibiotics, let’s journey through history and explore how organic chemistry laid the foundations for the modern world.
About Dr Alex Baker
Alex is an organic chemist with a particular interest in carbohydrates, polymers and nanoparticles. His work is used to design medical diagnostics with a particular focus on the developing world and fighting health inequalities.