Molecules at the Mela
175 minutes for chemistry
Some of our education coordinators, ably helped by member volunteers, got hundreds of people involved in hands-on science at last weekend’s Newcastle Mela.
Enthusiastic visitors created secret messages using turmeric and washing soda solutions, showing how much chemistry is involved in our lives every day. There were also opportunities to create Rangoli patterns using natural pigments and pen chromatography.
Lucy Tetley, education coordinator for the north east said: “This is the first time the Royal Society of Chemistry have come to the Newcastle Mela and we had a fantastic two days and met hundreds of fascinated people at our stands. The Chemistry of Curry activity we put on tested people’s sense of smell and showed that the way we interpret smells is down to the molecules present in the ingredient, showing the chemistry all around us.
“We’re celebrating our 175th anniversary this year and events like the Mela help us to show the diversity and inclusivity of science. It really is something anyone can be interested in and we love showing people how much fun they can have with it, whether that’s with their kids or other adults.”
Another activity, 'Colours in Culture', compared traditional, natural pigments with more modern, vibrant synthetic pigments. Children got stuck in, using the pigments to create Rangoli street art on the ground using stencils.
Visitors of all ages got involved, with Saif, aged 16, saying: “It’s good to see Chemistry at the Mela, getting the chance to try a hands-on experience that is actually linked to Asian culture. It has made me look forward to starting my Chemistry A-level next week!”
Another visitor said: “I was really interested in science at school but haven’t done anything like this for years. We all had fun doing the chromatography and would definitely like to see more of this sort of activity at the Mela in future”.
Lucy was joined by 17 of our members who volunteered their time to help out. Rishi, a regulatory affairs consultant from Newcastle, found that helping at the event was a great opportunity to get involved with some fun, hands-on science. “Bringing the Chemistry of Curry into the community has brought out the competitive spirit in couples!” he said. “The children have really enjoyed making Rangoli; a lot haven’t seen this activity before. Overall the whole process has been a massive success.”
Our education coordinators are based all over the UK and Ireland, offering education support and outreach activities all year round. Contact your local representative if you’re interested in getting involved.
175 minutes for chemistry
As the oldest chemical society in the world, we celebrated our 175th anniversary in 2016. We wanted to mark this milestone by recognising the important contributions our community makes to the chemical sciences. We asked our members and supporters to dedicate 175 minutes to chemistry in 2016 and share their stories with us. We featured these stories throughout the year on our website, in print in RSC News, and on social media using #time4chem.
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