Unbelieve-a-Bubble: Whiz Bang fun show breaking down science stereotypes

Light my fire . . . Emma Lucas has fun with flammable gases in her show.

Getting children and adults alike excited about science is the aim of Whizz Bang Science creator Emma Lucas’ show which she is bringing to Gisborne next week.

The Unbelieve-a-Bubble Science Show has inspired sold-out audiences across the North Island and will be at Showgrounds Park and Event Centre on April 13 and 14.

A science graduate from The University of Auckland, Emma Lucas has a background in marine science and science communication.

She worked for one of the largest science centres in the Southern Hemisphere — Scitech in Perth — where she and her team presented science outreach programmes at schools and communities across the region.

“Working for a not-for-profit organisation, I saw how difficult it was for schools and communities to get students, teachers and parents enthused in STEAM (science, technology, engineering. arts and mathematics),” she says.

Accessibility and affordability are key drivers in Whizz Bang Science’s business ethos.

“As with most things, when our parents, caregivers and teachers feel confident and engaged with subjects like science or technology, our children’s competency and achievement in these areas increase.

“There are unfortunately still some enduring stereotypes around these subjects — that they are only for “smart” people, only for people who want to go to university, or are for only boys or girls depending on the job.”

The Unbelieve-a-Bubble Science Show aims to break down those stereotypes and reinforce two simple messages — “that science is simply the word we use to describe the process of asking questions and finding out answers, and that we are all scientists”.

“For example, when we are baking in the kitchen, we are being a scientist. When we are calculating how much new grass the cows need, we are being a scientist. Even when we are playing Minecraft, we are being a scientist,” Emma says.

She gets a thrill from seeing the reaction to the show from  children and parents/caregivers  alike.

“Sometimes the dads get even more excited than the children when I start to blow things up with flammable gases.”

She uses bubbles to teach basic science principles and engages the audience by asking questions throughout the show.

“We ask what constitutes a bubble — like a balloon is a bubble with something different on the outside — and we then look at what happens when we put something different on the inside like helium or flammable gas.

“The focus is on making science relatable and showing children science is a process that we as humans do ourselves every day by asking questions and finding out answers.

“You don’t need to be in a lab wearing a white lab coat and glasses to be a scientist.

“You already are one.”