Secrets and Science of Survival 2001

The role of light in the Natural World

The purpose of this science week event ‘There’s more to Light than meets the eye’ was to show children how living things detect light and respond to it.

Over 3,000 children at key stages 2 and 3 passed through the John Innes Centre’s Conference Centre during science week 2001. They and their teachers came to hear Mike Linley from the award-winning ‘Survival’ TV series, give interactive talks on how light affects the activity of living organisms. The talk, along with many interactive displays and demonstrations, included live animals and plants. Children learned how growing, moving, migrating, finding food and finding a mate are just some of the things living things do in response to light. They learned how their own eyes worked, and how insects and other animals see. They saw how some animals can see colours that we cannot see, and they saw how technology can help humans see better.

Supporting exhibits included a large working model eye, light sensitive plants, seeing what different animals see, an infra-red camera, microscope, telescope, walk-in giant camera and other demonstrations.

The TSN, John Innes Centre and Survival cooperate to produce Science and Survival events biannually during science week. Although the Survival team has now moved to Bristol, it is likely that Anglia TV will still support future events such as this one - our third Secrets and Science of Survival event.

.. so what did we do 2 years later? > Science & Survival,2003