I’ve been on a field trip today to @ Bristol. It’s a fab place. I’d never heard of it before recently so I don’t suppose many people even in the UK will have done so a quick summary is that it’s a place where you can play with science and hopefully learn something at the same time.

The place was heaving with what seemed like a zillion school kids of every age from titchy to almost fully formed. They poked and prodded and spun and pushed and pulled every lever and knob going. There was two floors of stuff with which to play. Even I did a bit of playing – I compared my DNA to the DNA of the non-human “people” I share my home with (chickens at 60% and dogs at 74%). I also helped to encase one of my fellow students inside a giant bubble and made a bridge of black shiny sandy stuff between two magnets among other things.

In the midst of the chaos, I found a board described as “news and views” where people could post questions and someone else posts an answer. One question was “why is orange marmalade not just called orange jam?” and the reply was “because it has peel in it” – I’m not sure if that was true or not. Anyway the comments ranged from the silly to the deep and philosophical. See above.

Is it true? Yes.

It reminds me of a quote from a Billy Connolly show that I once heard about a conversation between father and son….

Son to father “does Jesus play for Tottenham Hotspur?”

Father to son: “Yes son, in a way he does.”

BTW my copyright applies to the pic, not the sentiment!