🌟 British Science Week 2026: A snapshot

That’s a wrap on another jam-packed British Science Week. With so many great conversations, it’s hard to know where to start – so let’s take a step back and look at the bigger picture…

A week in numbers

  • 264 Chats took place
  • 285 scientists took part
  • 91 schools joined in across the UK, from Aith Junior in Shetland to Tywardreath School in Cornwall
  • 63 new teachers took part, and 44 teachers booked multiple Chats
  • 83% of Chats were with priority schools

Some special mentions

Over half of participating schools booked multiple Chats, giving opportunities for even more students to connect with people working in STEM.

  • Foxford Community School took part for the first time, with 22 Chats across the week and 8 more the week after! They engaged the whole of KS3 and Y10.
  • Clare Nelson, teacher at City of Leicester College, returned for a sixth BSW with three classes.
  • LVS Oxford, a special school, booked five Chats to get the whole school involved. They’ve already taken part in September, October, and February this year, and have a Space-themed Chat this week.

While many scientists joined a few Chats across the week, some went above and beyond. Shoutout to Lorelei, who attended an impressive 22 Chats in just five days!


What participants had to say

“I had such a good time last week, it was great talking to all the students, and seeing all the different questions they were asking. Also seeing all the other scientists, they all have such cool jobs!” – Lorelei, Scientist

“thx u all for the time u have worked so hard and u guys r so interesting (❁´◡`❁)” – SofiaB, Student

“My class thoroughly enjoyed this afternoon’s chat session. So much so, that we’ve booked another one for next Monday. They were absolutely buzzing when their questions were answered.” – Teacher

“You have really given me an insightful view into the world of science and work.” – Student


A few standout moments

From light-hearted ideas on the ‘5-second rule’ to big questions about brain rewiring, students brought curiosity and creativity to every Chat. Here are some of our mods’ top picks – from starfish footprints, to a student teaching us something new about a Mars rover:

Chat window with student messages in grey textboxes, scientist replies in blue textboxes. Conversation reads: Student @all: how does the human brain process and store information CarlynB @Student: through neurons (brain cells) and the connections between them. Dendrites receive signals and are like long branches extending from the cell body. Axons conduct signals away from the cell body. Through electrical impulses. Student @CarlynB: do you think the body could work without one conection and could it repair it its self CarlynB @Student: It already does. It's called neuroplasticity. People have had entire parts removed like a temporal lobe after it's been damaged by illness and whole other areas had taken over its role to compensate so it wasn't even needed in the end
Chat window with student messages in grey textboxes, scientist replies in blue textboxes. Conversation reads: Student @LoreleiR: Also...What is the coolest teeny tiny thing that you have seen under a microscope? LoreleiR @Student: Teeny tiny things in general are pretty cool. the coolest thing is probably starfish footprints! Student @LoreleiR: No way!!!! How do starfish make footprints without feet? LoreleiR @Student: They secret 'glue' to stick themselves to surfaces, then secret 'glue dissolver' to then move on, leaving behind 'footprint' traces of where they went Student @LoreleiR: That's really cool! Isn't nature incredible? LoreleiR @Student: Nature is amazing and it's fascinating learning about how everything works in different ways!!
Chat window with student messages in grey textboxes, scientist replies in blue textboxes. Conversation reads: Student @MeganD: heyy do you also look at the affects of climate change ? MeganD @Student: Good question, yes! At the moment I'm trying to see how forestry can limit wildfires which are a big problem in scotland Student @MeganD: what is forestry? MeganD @Student: So all the trees in the UK are managed by people, even if they look natural. We need to plan to grow trees so that we can then cut them down for building materials etc. We also need to protect our native trees that are really ancient Student @MeganD: but is that deforestation and that would affect the mass of oxygen in the air and habitats?
Chat window with student messages in grey textboxes, scientist replies in blue textboxes. Conversation reads: Student: Is there accully a 5 second rule DrJo @Student: there has actually been a lot of investigating of this ;) DrJo: It's not really true - it depends far more on what bacteria are present and what the surface is like as to how much might get transferred.... it's best NOT to eat food that's fallen on the floor! ErinP @Student: No, bacteria has no time limit, but I follow it anyway depending how much I like the food haha
Chat window with student messages in grey textboxes, scientist replies in blue textboxes, mod messages in yellow textboxes. Conversation reads: Student: is it true that a mars rover sang itself happy birthday? ModLynne @Student: I need to watch out for this answer I've never heard that before! Would be cool if it did. NiamhT @Student: I haven't seen this but you might be right! Curiosity and Perseverance have taken selfies a lot NiamhT @Student: I've had a quick look, yes it did! Not in the way you might think though. After Curiosity had been on Mars for 1 year, the engineers vibrated parts of the rover to the tune of Happy Birthday. So there were no words, just sounds!

A huge thank you to everyone who took part, scientists, teachers, and students alike. British Science Week may be over, but the momentum continues. Chats run year-round, with more opportunities for students to explore STEM and see where it could take them.


Posted on March 23, 2026 by modjamie in News. Tagged , , , . Comments Off on 🌟 British Science Week 2026: A snapshot

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