For British Science Week (6-15 March 2026), Ed Bye and Nigel Stephens represented CSES at The Boswells School Science Fair. With exhibitors from other local organisations, they worked with Year 9 and Year 7 students on the school’s chosen theme of "Curiosity".
Activities and Displays
A set of hands‑on exhibits encouraged students to explore science and engineering through play, questioning, and practical investigation.
- A robotic comfort cat designed for dementia patients drew steady attention and opened discussions about assistive technology.
- LED eyelashes on a model head showed one way how electronics are being used in the fashion and beauty industries.
- A box of “electronic poo” – a humorous container filled with dead batteries – prompted conversations about recycling, waste management, and battery safety.
- An artificial‑urine battery powering an LED demonstrated how energy can be recovered from a natural by‑product that is normally flushed away. The exhibit showed how this waste stream can generate a small amount of electricity, reducing the cost on sanitation systems by turning part of that waste into a useful output.
- Hand dynamometers allowed students to test and compare their grip strength.
- Ring and peg puzzles challenged problem‑solving skills and persistence.
Student Engagement
Before lunch, around 80 Year 9 students (age 13-14) visited the hall. After lunch, two sessions of roughly 120 Year 7 students (age 11-12) each, brought the total to more than 300 students – making for an energetic and well‑attended event.
The robotic cat proved particularly popular, with students queuing to stroke it and make it purr and it stimulated excellent conversations about the possible uses for robotics beyond what might normally be expected.
The Hand Dynamometers (Grip Testers) prompted the usual strong competition, particularly amongst the boys, enabling Nigel and Ed to point out that grip strength has become an important indicator of good health in the elderly.
Showing that it’s not all about brawn, the puzzles were also a great hit with, as usual, some students able to solve them almost instantly whilst others took a little longer and some needed a little prompting.
Some students were brave enough to put their hand into the unseen contents of the “Electronic Poo” and, when the surprising contents were exposed, discussions followed about the need for careful disposal of old batteries. Even among this small cohort, three students shared experiences of batteries and chargers exploding or catching fire!
The pee‑power demo fascinated some students while making others a little squeamish, but it certainly captured attention, whilst showing that there are still uses and energy in what we call waste.
The event was busy, energetic, and full of genuine curiosity. Students engaged deeply with the hands‑on activities, asked thoughtful questions, and shared real‑world experiences that opened the door to important conversations – especially around battery safety and waste.