Our latest 'Meet the Scientists' event was held on Saturday 28 October and drew in 850 enthusiastic attendees. Here's a quick look at what happened and some of the fantastic feedback received.
'Meet the Scientists' is an annual series of interactive science days for families, brought to you by the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences in partnership with the World Museum Liverpool. It's now in its ninth year with our latest event proving as popular as ever:
- 100% fun: Every visitor had a fantastic time.
- 93% learnt something new: Nearly everyone walked away with new knowledge.
- 94% would come again: The event was so enjoyable that most are eager to return.
- 60% first-timers: A substantial 60% of attendees had never experienced a science event before.
Event highlights
The event was packed with hands-on activities and interactive exhibits that explored the fascinating world of science. Highlights included:
- Love your eyes!: The Department of Eye and Vision Sciences challenged visitors to take the PEEK Acuity Test.
- Make your own blood: A spooky Halloween-themed activity that allowed you to create your own blood - perfect for the season.
- Inside the body tardis: A fascinating journey into the human body's inner workings and what makes our body clock tick, courtesy of the Department of Musculoskeletal and Ageing Science.
- Sensory overload!: Psychologists from the Institute of Population Health demonstrated how the mind can trick the body with intriguing activities involving a dummy arm.
Those were just the beginning! Researchers presented activities aimed at improving the future, including a 'Dementia Inequalities Boardgame' by the Primary Care and Mental Health team and an activity focused on reducing food waste from the Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology. There was also the opportunity to build the perfect Lego city with the Children Growing up in Liverpool (CGULL) public engagement team.
Young science enthusiasts could also extract DNA from a strawberry with the Life Sciences Outreach Group and engage in 'Microscopy Adventures'. They could also sculpt their own molecule masterpieces with a team from the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Systems Biology.
Festival of Social Sciences
This ‘Meet the Scientists’ was part of the University of Liverpool’s programme of events for the Festival of Social Sciences and we were delighted to have both the Department of Music and the Management School joining us to run stands. They presented 'String Theory,' exploring the culture and science behind the guzheng, a giant Chinese harp. Children also had a chance to explore the language of job adverts and stereotypes in 'Dr Barbie will see you now.'
Feedback from attendees
- "I loved it. I came back because it was so fun. I even met a new friend. Definitely coming back soon."
- "Very inspiring for me and all the children. Well done - look forward to next time!"
- "Wonderful experience. I and my daughter and husband had a great time and learned along the way! Students were so lovely."
- "I really enjoyed doing this, it was really cool and I learnt lots of things."
Date for the diary
Mark your calendars for our next Meet the Scientists event, which will be on Saturday 16 March 2024 for British Science Week. As ever, the event is free, open to all, and promises more exciting scientific adventures for everyone to enjoy. The March event will take place in the Museum of Liverpool for the first time so join us there.
Stay updated with our future events and activities by following us on Facebook or X @LivUniEngageHLS.
Get involved
If you're a University staff member or student and would like to contribute to the next event, whether by running an activity or volunteering, please contact us on hlsengagement@liverpool.ac.uk. We'd love to have your participation in making science accessible and exciting for our community.
A big thank you to everyone who joined us for the most recent 'Meet the Scientists' event. We can't wait to see you again in 2024!