Science fun in the sun

So we have well and truly embarked on our summer science busking programme. Every year, the Festival team and volunteers are just itching to get out and try our science tricks and demonstrations with willing members of the public!

We were at Manchester Mega Mela at the weekend and hundreds of people were crammed into the arts and crafts tent getting henna tattoos, making hats, dancing and enjoying science! We had a few new science busks to t

ry out and the "cloud in a bottle" was definitely the crowd pleaser - it has the wow factor and everyone was so interesting in learning about the weather and clouds. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and asked loads of questions. It certainly helped us practise the new busks and we had a really fun day.

We've got a few more summer busking slots lined up at the Manchester Picnic, the Caribbean Carnival and Stockport Farmers' Market. Here's hoping it stays sunny! See you there!

Boat busking a sailing success!

This weekend we went busking on a boat! We wanted to bring some science to the Manchester Weekender, so we took David Price from Science Made Simple along the River Erwell for some science busking on a boat. It was lovely weather and the passengers loved it!

Listen to a podcast of David talking about his science busking here.

Science busking and microbe knitting at Jamaica Day

On Saturday 21 August Manchester Science Festival is heading to Jamaica Day at Longford Park and Stadium. Jamaica Day is a community Festival with loads of activities for the whole family. We'll be there science busking to the masses and knitting microorganisms! So come along and try a fizzy rocket, hear the secret sounds of the oven shelf, learn about the germs on your body and knit your very own virus.

11am - 3pm Saturday 21 August, Jamaica Day, Longford Park and Stadium

This event is free and there’s no need to book – just turn up!

We need you! Volunteer for Manchester Science Festival...

Manchester Science Festival takes place from 23 – 31 October, with the schools programme taking place on the 19 and 20 October. Over 200 events will take place in venues across Greater Manchester.

We are now seeking volunteers to help at events and get out and about science busking. Volunteering for the Festival is a great opportunity to meet new people, get some science engagement experience and develop some great skills for your CV. More info about what opportunities are available, what to expect and how to register can be found on our volunteer pages.

MSF goes east!

On the 24 May Manchester Science Festival is heading east to the Shanghai Science and Art exhibition. We'll be busking and running activities about the science of sound at this popular event. This opportunity follows a visit from the Association for Science and Technology in Shanghai to the Manchester Science Festival last year, where doctors from Shanghai contributed to our Biomedical Exhibition. Stay tuned to the blog, facebook, twitter and flickr as we keep you posted whilst we're there!

The event is also part of the 2010 World Expo which we also hope to visit and bring some ideas home for the 2010 Manchester Science Festival.

MSF Volunteer profile

Hello, my name's Carol and, amongst other things, I'm a scientist, a STEM Ambassador, and for the October half-term I was a volunteer Science Busker for the Manchester Science Festival. You may have seen me, and fellow buskers, in Piccadilly Train Station, the Trafford Centre, or out and about in Bolton. We had lots of different hands-on puzzles and experiments for you to try out. One of them was the *straw oboe* - a simple but effective demonstration of sound, vibration and pitch changes. All you need is a plastic straw, a pair of scissors and a lung full of air, and with a bit of practice, and a few friends, you can create your own straw oboe band! To check out me and an enthusiastic festival-goer trying out our straw oboes, watch our little You Tube video. For more information about some of the busking experiments that you can try at home now the Festival's over go to Try this at home page of the Festival website.

To find out more about becoming a STEM Ambassador, where you will have the opportunity to volunteer for the 2010 Manchester Science Festival, visit the Stemnet website.

http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/

Image courtesy of MonkeyJunkie on flickr.

Busk a Move

Warning, warning, the Manchester Science Festival Buskers have broken free and are out and about around the city spreading their fun, and a little magical brand of science.

First sightings seem to have placed the purple t-shirted ones in Piccadilly station, please feel free to approach them - they don't bite, although they may hand you a program for events occurring during the festival. So if you hear their call of straw oboes or see some balancing tricks, just head over and see if they're simple yet spectacular science can brighten your day.

Remember to keep up to date by checking our website and hearing us tweet

MSF Science buskers at the ready...

We've been training up our fantasic, enthusiastic science buskers this week. Our volunteers, which have been recruited as Stem Ambassadors, have been getting to grips with science demonstrations and tricks to prepare themselves for science busking. We'll be getting out and about on the streets of Manchester in the weeks running up to and during the Festival to entertain the crowds and engage the unsuspecting with science.

Check out some pictures on the BBC website and keep your eyes peeled!