Magician Bryan baffles 'em with science

The magic of science will be brought to life at an Essex school on Thursday, March 17, when magician Bryan
Porter will be performing some gravity-defying tricks.
The assistant head teacher at Brentwood County High School is a member of Ilford Magical Society and usually
restricts his mystifying performances to charity fundraising events.
But on Thursday he will be hosting a lunchtime workshop as part of celebrations for National
Science Week which encourages people of all ages to take part in science, engineering and technology activities.
Bryan, who teaches physics and science, will be showing students how to make model butterflies which can be
balanced on the point of a pencil, and demonstrating how wine bottles can be tilted to 45 degrees without toppling over. At the end of the fun event, pupils should have a greater understanding of stability and know what the term 'centre of gravity' means.
Brentwood County High has special status in science, maths and ICT and
staff throughout the school have been organising events to mark National Science Week which runs until Sunday (March 20).
One of their themes is 'structures and forces' and activities have included making hats for a party to mark the
anniversary of the birth of physicist Albert Einstein, and house teams have been learning the principles of construction
in a competition to make the tallest model stag - complete with antlers - using just newspaper and sticky tape.
Events will be rounded off on Friday, March 18, when some of the school's 1,400 students will be making
paper planes and entering a competition to see which flies furthest. They will be paying 50p to enter each plane
and proceeds will go to the Essex Air Ambulance charity.
National Science Week is now in its 11th year and is promoted by the British Association for the Advancement of
Science supported by the Office for Science and Technology which advises the Government on scientific matters.

Ends


Media contact: Ann Betts, technology faculty director, Brentwood County High School, Seven Arches Road,
Brentwood, Essex CM14 4JF, email betts@bchs.essex.sch.uk, tel 01277 238900 ext 256.