Eureka – it’s time to join the ‘Bicycle Bloc’ on the Manchester Day Parade (Sunday 19th June)

2nd June 2016

‘Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.’ (Albert Einstein)

The theme for Manchester Day 2016 is Eureka! celebrating

  • Manchester as a pioneering city that’s still at the forefront of modern discovery, European City of Science for 2016 and home of the National Graphene Institute.
  • Archimedes, the Ancient Greek mathematician, who is reported to have sat in his bathtub shouting Eureka!
  • Moments of sudden inspiration in everyday life – from solving an equation in your maths’ homework to thinking of the answer to a question in your local quiz.
  • A celebration of the history of Manchester as the first industrial city and its history of pioneering spirit, from vegetarianism, atomic theory, competitive football to British dance music.

Manchester Day - Eureka

 

 

Love Your Bike is co-ordinating the ‘Bicycle Bloc’ in the Manchester Day Parade and will be marking the ‘Eureka’ theme by exploring the amazing science of the bicycle.

“Forget mysterious dark matter and the inexplicable accelerating expansion of the universe; the bicycle represents a far more embarrassing hole in the accomplishments of physics.” (New Statesman).

We will be working with artist Julian Taylor to create an amazing pedal powered and pedal propelled mobile science experiment.

We are looking for people with different iconic bicycle designs across the decades – from penny farthings, the Chopper, folding bikes, tandems to the latest carbon-fibre racing bike.  So if you have a distinctive design bicycle – or just your normal bike and would like to join the ‘Bicycle Bloc’ please sign up via the Google form below.

And continuing the science theme we will also be providing flags from the Periodic Table so we can all be in our ‘element’ on the day!

Periodic Table

 

 

 

 

 

 

“How does a bicycle stay upright?  We thought we knew the maths behind cycling. We were wrong – and our efforts to figure it out are leading to some weird and wonderful new bike designs.”  (New Scientist)

You can see Manchester Day Parade photos from 2015, taken by artist/maker Julian Taylor on his Flickr pages.

Can you help us build the Bicycle Bloc ‘science lab’ and experiments ?

We have several work sessions in the run up to the Manchester day Parade on Sunday 19th June.

The sessions will be at Walk the Plank in the Old Granada TV Studios – accessed via Atherton Street, off Quay Street.   You don’t have to stay for the whole session – any time you can give will be great.

Session dates:

Saturday 11th June:  10am – 1pm and 1 – 4pm.

Monday 13th June: 5.30pm – 8pm

Wednesday 15th June: 5.30pm – 8pm  (pizza for helpers 🙂

Friday 17th June: 5.30pm – 8pm

Saturday 18th June: 10am – 1pm and 1pm – 4pm.

If you can help please contact Pete.  Email pete@manchesterfoe.org.uk or 07951 642858

Walk the Plank workshop area, Old Granada Studios, end of Atherton Street, off Quay Street, Manchester  (just down from Opera House)

 

If you would like to join in and help with the ‘Bicycle Bloc’ please sign up via the Google form below.