07 Dec 07

A student from Radcliffe School, Milton Keynes, holds a cockroach after atttending a Christmas lecture at the Natural History Museum

550 students from 16 schools in Oxfordshire, Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire attended Science Christmas lectures at Oxford University in December.

The 13- to 14-year-olds heard from top professors what fascinates them about mathematics, biology and neuroscience.

The lectures were aimed mainly at Year 9 students from Aimhigher target schools, which are schools with low academic attainment and low numbers of students progressing to Higher Education.

Professor Marcus du Sautoy, one of the UK’s leading mathematicians, gave an insight into the importance of prime numbers. As a highlight of the lecture, he revealed his answer to the question why Beckham chose the number 23 shirt when he joined Real Madrid in 2003.

In ‘Bug World,’ entomologist Dr George McGavin guided the audience through the different stages of the earth’s development and the role insects play in the world’s ecosystem. He compared the mass and volume of insects in relation to mammals, using a grape and a melon to show why elephants can’t jump. He also spoke of the nutritional value of different insects for human consumption and ended the lecture by inviting the students to try fried black crickets.

In the final lecture, neurologist Professor John Stein discussed the importance of looking after our brain, the organ that creates an individual’s sense of self. He explained the workings of nerve connectors, the role played by each different section of the brain, and what happens when one of these areas become damaged. Showing images of optical illusions, he demonstrated how our mind guides our perception, which led to an explanation why patients with amputated limbs may sometimes still experience pain in the missing limb.

Naomi Capell, Access Co-ordinator who organised the events, said: ‘Just like the popular Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, these events aim to inspire school students about science. The students clearly enjoyed them and some may even go back to their maths and science and study with renewed enthusiasm.’

In the video clip below Professor Marcus du Sautoy takes a straw poll to decide whether '1' is a prime number.