Magic

What a brilliant day. I feel very lucky to have ended up living in London.

We got up early this morning and went to a little park in Bethnal Green where a bioscience exhibition was being held. I can hear your yawns from here but it was anything but crap and dull. The kids (who I think it was mainly aimed at) loved it, as did me and Clare.

All the major universities had stands where they had interactive exhibits explaining a part of their current research including a walk-through colon and small intestine.
I found out that we are made up of 90% bacteria and 10% human cells, and that the expensive probiotic drinks we're sold are fairly useless because the good bacteria in them is mostly killed in the stomach before it gets to the gut where it's needed. Research is being done to trap the good stuff in microscopic bubbles that can pass through the stomach unharmed to its destination where it's released.


There were a lot of very clever and questioning people there.
The bee thing that Clarebeme mentions in her my little eye journal was only discovered three years ago by physicists working in the biology department and questioning the established thought. I found myself advising the kids to question everything and not take what you're told for granted; then realised the hole I was digging for myself so added an important postscript...except what me and your mum say!

After staying way too long we went for a get together with old friends at the always fantastic V and A. Elsa suggested the photo here when I realised that I'd been too involved with learning and socialising to get my camera out.