What parts of a science show have the most impact?

What is it about?

Three key messages: 1. Demonstrations in a science show can be memorable over a long-term – especially those that are counter-intuitive, or curious in nature. 2. By categorising the type of demonstration and comparing short and long-term memories we can predict which types of demo may suit different types of learners 3. There is evidence that some short term memories from demonstrations are applied in other contexts over the long-term which suggests some cognitive processing of the memory has occurred

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Why is it important?

Science shows as a medium for communicating science are used widely across the world, yet there is little literature about the long-term impact they may have. This longitudinal study looks at the short- and long-term impact of the science show; ‘Music to your ears’, which was initially performed throughout the UK on behalf of the Institute of Physics and has since been offered at schools and events through the enterprise, Science Made Simple. The impact was measured using the immediate reaction to the show, the number (and type) of demonstrations (demos) recalled long-term, and the applied use of any memories from the show.