ChemEng Culture: Sparks and Science

Can Fire and Fun Ignite a Love of STEM? A visit to the Magna Science Adventure Centre shows that interactive exhibits may grab kids – but it’s passionate people (and a few flames) that truly light the spark, writes Paul Okey

BILLED as a “hands-on experience like no other”, the Magna Science Adventure Centre is housed in the former Templeborough steelworks in Rotherham, UK and makes full use of the vastness of
the space.

Four “awe-inspiring” pavilions – Air, Earth, Fire and Water – promise to bring science and technology to life, with more than 100 interactive exhibits.

But for my eight-year-old daughter Iris, who still sees scoring the winning penalty in the European Championship as a realistic career goal, can a lifelong love of STEM be forged by what is, in essence, a glorified steel museum?

The first signs aren’t good. The sheer size of the steelworks, with its large open spaces, dim lighting and towering structures, misses the mark on awe-inspiring and lands firmly on intimidating (and that’s before adding the industrial noises from the hourly Big Melt Show).

Clanking along the walkway high above the furnace we head somewhat nervously to the first of the four pavilions. We go with Fire first – a wise choice in terms of captivating Iris but one that sets a standard the other pavilions struggle to match.

Three flame-filled giant screens greet us before we turn a corner and are met by a stunning fire tornado (a stark contrast to the entrance to Water which sees us rained on – metaphorically and literally dampening our expectations).

Straight away, Iris dives into the interactive buttons and levers – turning a handle to squash and stretch a column of gas, pressing a button to trigger a firestorm, rubbing sticks to generate fire. Another button, something else to wind up, a queue to push and pull something. And this, for me, is where Magna falls down. In the rush to press the next button or pull the next lever, the explanations are missed. Why does the kinetic energy start the fire? Iris hasn’t got a clue. But she does impressively pilot a helicopter to pick up water from a lake and put out some forest fires (100% success, go Iris!).

The same can be said of Air, Water and Earth, which feature more buttons pressed (so many buttons), levers yanked, pulleys pulled – and explanations left unread. I even manage to get in on the act myself with an interactive underwater recycling game which highlights sea pollution.

Fire sparks something in Iris, though. And, having seen some of the effects for the Big Melt Show earlier, we pick out a prime spot to step back into the world of steel mills. ‘E’ furnace, one of the original electric arc furnaces, was brought to life with light, sound and special effects. Cue more pyrotechnics, and an even more wide-eyed Iris.

However, for all the interactive exhibits, special effects and sheer scale of Magna, none of the above makes it into Iris’ debrief for her mum when we get home.