Bangs and flashes at Museum's science lectures

Museums | Science 11 Jan 11 The Oxford University Museum of Natural History has hosted its annual Christmas lectures, attended by more than 600 pupils from schools in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes and organised by the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division (MPLS). Lectures were given by Dr Jonathan Wood, Dr George McGavin and Drs Hugh Cartwright and Malcolm Stewart between 14 and 16 December 2010. Dr Wood gave a lecture entitled ' Tripping the light fantastic ', while Drs Cartwright and Stewart performed ' The Christmas Chemistry Show ' and Dr McGavin talked about 'The lost land of the tiger'. 'Tripping the light fantastic' and 'The Christmas Chemistry Show' can now be viewed on the University of Oxford's YouTube channel. The lectures were attended by Year 9 state school students, primarily from Aimhigher target schools in Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Aimhigher paid travel costs while MPLS covered other costs. Following the lectures, students took part in a science quiz and were given the opportunity to handle the Museum's Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches.