Children teach University researchers a thing or two

PA202/11 Children from across Nottinghamshire are invited to become scientists for the day at the fifth annual Summer Scientist Week at The University of Nottingham. A group of four to 11-year-olds will help researchers understand how humans learn by taking part in a series of fun, interactive activities between Monday 8 and Friday 12 August. Nearly 300 people attended last year's event, compared to the 50 who turned up for the first event in 2007. Organiser Lucy Cragg is thrilled at how popular it has become: "Summer Scientist Week is fun and informative for both children and parents and I think that's why families come back year after year." In a follow-up survey of parents, 100% of respondents said they would recommend the event to a friend, and 84% said it had improved their understanding of psychology and research at the University. This year, the University's unique MIRAGE technology - which recently gave researchers a breakthrough in possible treatments for arthritis - will be used to study children's perception of body image and how the brain puts together what we see and feel. The technology - which takes a real-time video capture image of the hand and uses computer manipulations to fool the brain into thinking the hand is stretching or shrinking, etc. In Stretch Armstrong, c hildren will be asked to reach out and touch objects, such as a wooden block or their other.