Hands-on science

Abstract

A few weeks ago, teachers were introduced to a new interactive exhibition near Winchester, ‘Intech’. It was the result of a long and hard campaign spanning many years. In Paris, over 30 years ago the ‘Palais de la Decouverte’ had enticed youngsters to experiment with electricity, mechanics and even relativity with hands-on exhibits. For many years the British science museums have warned ‘Do not touch.’ At last exhibitions such as Intech are starting to spring up, no doubt helped by the growing alarm at the shortage of young students opting for science and engineering specialisations.