St Edmund's

SciSoc Trip Report

By Matthew Williams et al

On Thursday, 2nd July, a group of 9 students and 3 teachers from the Science Society embarked on a trip to London, to visit the annual Royal Society’s Summer Science event.

Having walked to Canterbury West, we boarded the slow train to Charing Cross, arriving in the capital just before lunch. Once we had purchased something to eat, we made the short journey to St James’ Park, to enjoy a lunch in the shade, before entering the exhibition at the nearby Royal Society. Upon completion of bag checks, we had two hours to explore the items on display. With stalls ranging from the complex science of nanomaterials to the intriguing characteristics of sand, there was truly something to interest and inspire everyone. A highlight included a group from the University of Birmingham who specialised in household formulation engineering, developing products such as shampoo, washing tablets and magic sponges.

Another group highlight was the robotics stall run by the University of Oxford’s ‘Robotics Institute’, which offered live demonstrations and hands-on challenges using advanced humanoid and automated robots. Oli did particularly well in the block-stacking challenge, achieving the 8th fastest time of the day. We also explored the Young Researcher’s Zone, went on a tour through a Microbe Zoo, learn about criteria for successful ageing, and discovered how scientists from Cardiff University are researching lightning.

Having re-gathered at the entrance, we talked about what we had learnt and enjoyed, before heading back towards Charing Cross for the journey home.

The day was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone on the trip, and we would like to extend our warmest gratitude to Ms Hummerstone, Mrs Lea and Dr Fernandez for making this amazing trip possible.