Chris Brackstone is Peter’s lab tech at Cambridge and the man responsible for prepping all of his experiments. He is also an amateur rocketeer and spends much of his spare time attempting to send rockets into the atmosphere.

Why did you want to get involved in The Big Experiment?
It gave me the chance to do some really unique demonstrations and experiments and the chance to work with kids again. We had some great ideas to get the kids involved and hopefully get them as excited about the science behind them as we were.

Why is Science so important to you?
An understanding of science gives us the ability to explain the world around us. This is particularly important in a modern world where everything from the size of our mobile phones to the warming of the planet seems to change week by week. Science gives us a sense of perspective; it can show us our place in the world and gives us the tools to understand it.

Was Science your favourite subject at school?
Yes. Particularly Physics, though possibly because I wasn't much good at anything else!
It's no secret that I avoided school like the plague and Science and English lessons were the only reason to turn up. I have always had an interest in Science and Technology and spent many hours taking apart (and sometimes putting together) any thing I could get my hands on just to see how it worked. I still do, though with more success now.

Do you think the current culture of heath and safety is discouraging young people to experiment with Science?
No. Very few demonstrations or activities are actually banned in schools, though the time involved in planning and setting up a safe and interesting practical class can be difficult to find and can be an expensive exercise.

Would you ever consider being a Science teacher?
No thanks, I’m very happy at the university!

Has your experience in The Big Experiment helped you to appreciate how tough the job of Science teacher is?
Oh yes! A huge amount of planning goes into every lesson, whether it’s practical or not, and it takes great skill to present what can seem quite a dry subject in an interesting and inspiring way. Children are no different to the rest of us, when we get bored our attention wanders and who doesn’t want to get home early on Fridays? Sparking and then nurturing a lifelong interest in any subject is a huge task.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An astronaut. I still have a reply from the American Embassy to my request to President Nixon for any spare pieces of Skylab that they had lying around and would they let me join NASA… I was about six, I had my own spacesuit and I still think they made a mistake when they turned me down!