Brain Bus

Why does the smell of cut grass remind you of summer? How can you measure your nerve endings with a paper fastener? And how can you create the sound of church bells with just a serving spoon and a piece of string...? These fascinating questions and more will be revealed by University of Manchester scientists when they take to the road on their 'Brain Bus'. The bus is taking hands-on activities to test the senses to the suburbs, to show young and old alike how the brain works and how science can answer some of life's most captivating questions. Organizer Dr Stuart Allan, lecturer at the Faculty of Life Sciences, explains: "Three-year-olds and upwards can understand the senses and it's an area that is intriguing to all ages." It takes effort to get out of bed on a Saturday morning and go to the Museum. We are bringing science to your doorstep and going further afield this year in the hope of finding new and different audiences . "We want people to see that science is interesting as well as important in our lives, and to encourage people who may not consider it possible to go to University."