SPRA Schools Lecture 2011: ‘Fantastic Plastic’

The 2011 SPRA Schools Lecture attracted 650 pupils and teachers, from 23 schools across the country, at the two venues in Glasgow and Edinburgh, on 25 and 26 August. Using the vehicle of ‘Fantastic Plastic’, Professor Averil Macdonald, Professor of Science Communication at the University of Reading, once again excited her audiences with the opportunities afforded to entrepreneurs by versatile polymeric materials to ‘Make Your First £million’, the subtitle of her lecture demonstration.

The mixture of S4/S5/S6 pupils studying chemistry and product design hung on every word of Prof Macdonald’s inspiring presentation, punctuated by audible gasps and excited exchanges with their classmates at the most impressive parts. She caught their imagination with simple demonstrations of cutting polymeric liquids with scissors, water absorbent polymers, coagulation of rubber latex with lemon juice, water soluble laundry bags and crosslinking of poly(vinyl alcohol) to produce fascinating gels. The link was made to everyday products such as hair gel and a selection of toys, all very familiar to the pupils. The greatest excitement in the audience was generated with the concept of electrically conducting polymers and polymeric light emitting diodes (PLED). The former enabling cheap radio frequency identification tags (RFID), which will revolutionise retail shopping, and the latter will lead to innovative room lighting, making light bulbs obsolete. The flexible roll up TV screens, about to be launched on the market, and the augmented reality contact lenses convinced the pupils that following a career in science and technology, particularly related to polymers, could not only be exciting but also financially rewarding. As in previous years, Fantastic Plastic and the issues it raised was the only topic on the journey back to school and, in some cases, a subject for discussion in class and at home for weeks after.

Awaiting the invasion of pupils: left to right: Prof Macdonald, Colin Hindle (Edinburgh Napier University; SPRA Education Officer), Dr John Liggat (Reader, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde), Kenneth McIntosh (Rosti UK ;SPRA Vice President).

For further information see the Fantastic Plastic website

The SPRA wishes to thank the following sponsors of the SPRA Schools Lecture for making this exercise possible.

Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde and
School of Engineering and the Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University which hosted the two events.

The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
The Royal Society of Chemistry.
The Worshipful Company of Horners.
The Wolfson Foundation.

Plans are already in hand to repeat the SPRA Schools Lecture in 2012. If your school is interested in attending, please contact Charlie Geddes, SPRA Honorary Secretary.

Comments from some of the schools participating in the 2011 SPRA Schools Lecture.

Just to say a big thankyou for all your team’s organization for the Fantastic Plastic lecture at Strathclyde University last Thursday, our pupils really enjoyed it and were still talking about it the following day at school.

I would just like to express my sincere thanks in organising a thoroughly fantastic and enjoyable event. The reviews from the pupils say a lot about the content of the lecture

Our thanks to you and all other staff involved for the very enjoyable lecture yesterday. Our pupils found it very interesting,

Thank you all for an excellent day on Friday.
We had only got on the bus to go home and I was asked if we could watch the DVD.
The Product Design class thoroughly enjoyed it and as Prof MacDonald had said... they had to talk about it and talk about it and talk about it.... It raised a lot of valuable issues for discussion in class and really did excite them about Plastic.
One pupil was particularly fascinated that not all plastics were waterproof; personally I’m still telling everyone about the snipping liquid plastic to explain the long chain!
Prof MacDonald was captivating and by far the best presenter I have seen at any of these events as did the pupils. A worthwhile event I would happily recommend to others. We would certainly come back.

Just a quick email to relay my/our appreciation for the "Fantastic Plastic" lecture organised by SPRA. It was both informative and entertaining for pupils and staff. Thanks again,

The lecture itself was a great success and our pupils did come way thinking and talking about Plastic! The disc with the lecture on it was a brilliant idea. We have been able to show it to the two classes who were not able to attend on the day so they have also benefited. I will certainly use the clip of the 'poly-ethenol' soluble laundry bags when it comes up in the Higher course.

Report by Charlie Geddes, SPRA Hon Secretary, August 2011