BS: Could you tell me in terms of actually performing a play how the relation between the technologies, the multimedia and the physical props works. Do you think that they're very different ways of communicating science?
DB: With the props and the technology and things?
BS: Yes.
DB: Well basically, the props tend to be quite often over-large because they fit in with the space. And if you're trying to get somebody, there's one show we do, an energy show, which we need to lift the weights up, and we talk about, potential and kinetic energy and changes of energy from one form to another. We've got a big hams- like a giant hamster where we get children to stand in. They run round it then they power a winch which lifts the weight up. Now they're much more likely to remember that than they are - if you just turn the handle or something and, or press the button the electric motor work. Now they tend to remember that a lot more. So the actual props, very important to the way of actually showing that particular thing across.
Now, over the last couple of years they've started using PowerPoints, and again if you've got a visual image of something, either - you can use it for actually reinforcing the point you want to bring across. So if you're talking about something, somebody might not, because of the different ways people visualise things and see things, they might not link what you're saying exactly the way you want it to. If they get a visual image as well which, reinforces what you're saying that does actually help the, the young person or the adult or whatever in the particular learning they need to do. So if you're talking about - some particular part of the body and you've got a model of the body with a big arrow pointing to it, that's much more visual than just talking about it. Because it tends to be - because people learn in so many different ways, that actually is another way of actually helping people to - sort of get the point that you're - well, actually realise what you're actually trying to get across.
So, the technology and the props tend to come from the script. The general ideas are put out first, and then they think what is a good way of demonstrating this this this and this. So, if you were talking about - so we were talking about one of the workshops we talk about friction - and - if you get a metal plate and you get like a metal bread tin there's a huge amount of friction between the two. Most people think, there isn't going to be a lot of friction between the two, but then to demonstrate that what you have to do is say well if you look very closely at the surface of this it's really rough service so they're actually going to, interlink. So you'd have, like this packing foam that's got all those little points on one side and points on the other and you can show how that locks together. Now that's a much more visual way of showing it than actually saying well this surface although it looks really smooth is actually rough. So, they look at the actual points first, and then from those particular points they actually decide, what props will actually demonstrate what they use. And then after that then, they'll look at the PowerPoint or, visual aides, whatever you use, which would actually then, the video clips or the images or whatever, would actually fit into, go back to reinforce these points they had in the first place. So, they start with the script and then they work through and see how the ideas they want to put across will go in.
Now for the school shows and things, that tends to go back a lot to the national curriculum. And they'll look at what the main points of the curriculum need to say and then they'll try and bring those out in a particular show. And quite often the shows, because of the way teachers need to get these, you know the SAT tests and all the rest, they'll tend to go to - they'll tend to focus in on something that relates directly to what they need doing. Because some of them say "well I'm not coming that that because we don't do that on our curriculum" or whatever it is.
So they'll relate that directly back, the script is related directly to the curriculum. As far as the other shows go, for the weekend or for the holidays, they'll come up with an idea that they think is entertaining, a good way of putting - some scientific ideas across in an entertaining way and they'll go along that particular line without any reference to any curriculum and things. But again they'll use the same props. They'll start off with a script - like for the planetarium they'll start off with a script, and they'll look at what images they need to - show whatever it is then they'll look for the slides or video clips that'll fit in with that. And then, if they can't find those they might have to make a slight alteration to the script to - so that the actual images fit in but the script is the most important thing. The ideas they want to get across are the most important thing and any other props and images will lead back to that afterwards.