Background


Over the past few years there has been a steady increase in the number of 'Public Understanding of Science' initiatives being funded around the country, resulting in a multitude of science shows, outreach projects and exhibitions. Most of these events have targeted specific age groups; lectures often being geared toward an adult audience, while outreach projects have traditionally taken science into schools. The Arcs and Sparks show is unusual in that it was devised as a general public event for the University's science faculty centenary celebrations of 1993, rather than as a show to communicate with a specific audience.


Demonstrating a medical induction coil to a group of school children.

The presentation had to be adaptable in order to appeal to the wide range of audiences that visited the University during the centenary week, ranging from school children right through to invited groups of academics. Although A&S has evolved as an 'adaptive roadshow', it's now primarily recognised for its presentation of high voltage electrical phenomena to very young audiences, such as primary school classes, who would normally never see such science in their own schools.

History


Arcs and Sparks is about the history of electricity. It is about the scientists and inventors that helped bring about the electrical revolution. We demonstrate many physical phenomena using various devices, some of which are recent and some historical, but all of which are rarely seen today, especially in schools. In an educational sense, our mandate is not to teach children the subject of electricity in one hour; that would be absurd. Rather, we hope to inspire them a little by the science that we present. Almost certainly this is achieved using our high voltage 'props', but just as much this inspiration comes from answering their questions, or demonstrating some rather simple device or effect. Indeed, if our audience left feeling they'd seen a well-presented show with lots of spectacular gee-whizzery, but, well, they hadn't really understood any of it; that would be our failure.


The power of magnetism is experienced by two young volunteers from the audience.

It's interesting to compare the various parts of the show that different classes of audience find intriguing. Almost everyone likes seeing somebody put in the Faraday Cage and have a half-million volts connected across them. School children especially seem to enjoy this when the experiment is performed on their teacher! However it's easy to impress an audience when you have back-up from very visual, and noisy, `scientific stunts' such as these. What's not so easy, and takes far more courage on the part of the presenter, is to talk about science in a way which is far more close to what people actually feel in everyday life. Even with the most polished presentation, and the best will in the world, no attempt to attract a young audience to science will succeed more than the approach that appeals to their own senses. As an example, we demonstrate Geissler tubes which are the Victorian ancestors of modern 'plasma spheres' which you can now buy in executive toy shops. However, unlike plasma spheres, Geissler tubes were painstakingly hand crafted.


The discharge from a half-million volt Tesla coil, and two of our Victorian Geissler tubes.

They would be glass-blown in different sections and filled with various gases to produce a very simple but beautiful multi-coloured ornate lamp. You might think these are details that only a more mature audience might appreciate, but you would be wrong. A primary school audience, almost without exception, are enchanted when they see our Geissler tubes light up, more so than by any other thing we can do. They will ask questions - how old are they? How were they made? How do they work? Can we see them again at the end of the show? On the other hand, few ever ask to see the Faraday cage again, and fewer still are impressed so much by our modern plasma spheres. We have learned that, although spectacular arcs and bangs are popular, they don't `make' our show. The story is of course different with older audiences. Our induction coils and medical boxes are recognised from rather a different viewpoint by senior members of our audiences, but usually the response is gratifying. Many will comment on how they've never seen some device used in quite that way before!

Scientists


There are many fascinating and emotive stories behind many of the great scientists and inventors. Sadly, the history of science and the people associated with it, are often neglected or ignored. Perhaps this isn't surprising considering the high-tech and computer dominated culture we now find ourselves part of. Maybe historical science has become way too far back in the past to be bothered about any more. When asked what makes a computer work, few will reply with an answer involving the physics of electron/ion transport in materials. It is perhaps ironic that this technology culture, although having stemmed from early experiments performed by the likes of Faraday and Tesla, provides an environment that largely prohibits us from using their early machines!


A hair-raising experience with a Van der Graaff generator!

Our Tesla coil produces half-metre bolts of electricity at medium-wave radio frequencies however it cannot be properly used because of the potential disturbance to radio receivers and sensitive electrical systems. In fact, we cannot get insurance allowing us to operate it at a commercial location like a shopping centre, because of the risk of false-triggering fire-alarm sensors. So with A&S we usually have to encourage schools and the public to come to us, staging our show in a controlled environment, and by and large we have been quite successful with this.

Curiosity


However there does remain a general uneasiness with the public in coming to a science show or event. Many people in science take the view that it's because the public on the whole don't want to be involved in an educational experience, but rather just want to be entertained or have their emotions stirred. Then the question becomes whether or not you can entertain as well as educate at the same time. Some believe yes, and build science centres. Others think no and then get stuck wondering what you can do. A further minority couldn't care less, believing there's no point in trying to raise a science awareness with the public by essentially competing with other forms of entertainment and the arts.


A glass globe filled with noble gases illustrates the
beautiful nature of high-frequency electrical discharges.

Yet, just as artists are able to manipulate our emotions as we wander through a gallery, we as scientists can surely provide an equally emotive experience for people, using our resources. Indeed, our resources contain an abundance of people examples, they are educational, and most of all, they form part of a unique quest that has the world we live in today as its current conclusion! Through the achievements, discoveries and inventions of people like Faraday, Maxwell and Einstein we have developed a method of explaining how nature works, and how to make and produce things that serve useful purposes. In a show like A&S we make constant reference to history. Some may criticise the usefulness of the show claiming there's nothing new in it - so what's the point? However, a good science show doesn't need to have loads of current research to make it successful. We try to emphasise that every fact in the A&S show is a piece of past-research. Maybe at the time of conception, the research couldn't foresee the applications - like the famous 'solution in search of a problem' claim made of the LASER. However we should take note from the history of our subject. First and foremost we should present science in a way that makes people want to know more; present it from the point of view of 'I wonder why ...'. There is too much of the feeling amongst people that it daft to want to know the 'how' or 'why' regarding something, Rather we should be pointing out that it is daft not to! If we can do this, and persuade youngsters along the same lines, then we have succeeded in passing on the most simple and important tool of our trade ... curiosity!

Credits

Created and maintained by: Ken Skeldon & William Hamish Bell.
Photography: Media Services, Milne Photography, Kenneth Strain, Iain McVicar.
Text by: Rebecca Crawford & Ken Skeldon.