Science: Unlocking potential

News and chat from the frontline of science and technology at PACA

We’ve been busy down at Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA). Greenpower have just dropped off the promised kit for the ‘electric car’, and Mike from the company itself points out: “These things only really take off if there is someone on hand with the knowledge to build it.” So, as I pointed out to my colleague Quinty, “it’s a good job I’m here!”

But just to reassure you that the future generation of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) folk are in safe hands, I’ll give you a quick biography of some of the others here … besides me.

Quinty spent a lot of time in his past building and sailing boats and can, as it happens, build almost anything. He knows an awful lot about engines and speed too. He’s also got a BSc in Biological Sciences. Dean, on the other hand, is our observatory guru. He is a qualified science teacher but prefers to be working on the practical side of things.

Thanks to the advice and support of Dr Darren Baskill, from the University of Sussex Physics and Astronomy department, we have now bought our own telescope for the observatory we are building.

He knows an awful lot about engines

Talking of observatories, at our open evening one dad said that his grandfather had worked on Hubble, and he himself had built an observatory. Please drop us a line, dad, because I forgot to write down your name. We were rather blown away by that information!

Finally, may I reassure our sixth formers that as a result of their dedicated treatment of ‘Sim Man’ or ‘Will-I-Am’ I think he said his name was, borrowed from the University of Brighton and pictured below, he is now fully recovered and back in his box. (Visit twitter.com/GregScutt.T for more on this.) There’ll be updates on the antics and activity at PACA next week.