Abingdon-on-Thames Market Place was bustling with young scientists, and their parents, trying to find what makes things tick. There were a good variety of stalls to help them at the start of the two week Science Festival.

Enthusiastic scientists introduced particle physics with lego bricks and pressure physics with balloons.

The Abingdon Naturalists Society had come along with mini beasts fetched by pond dipping earlier in the day. The beasts would be returned to their ponds so long as they had not been eaten by bigger beasts.

They had also gathered samples of moss and fungi from near the River Ock – also to be replaced later in the day. David G told me that the fungi here include: Scarlet Elf Caps, Turkey Tails, Artist’s Bracket Fungus, and Peeling Oyster Fungus.

There were space explorers with telescopes and pictures they had taken of new and decaying stars from the Abingdon Astronomical Society.

There were robots – mini versions of what are used to help maintain the tokamak at the Fusion Research Laboratory in nearby Culham.

St Helen and Katherine School were there making super-cool liquid nitrogen ice-cream,

and had objects from the anatomy lab.

Elsewhere there were children walking round with brain caps showing their occipital, parietal and temporal lobes. Oxford University are doing research into the brain and the effect of strokes. And there were also stalls I could not get near as they were crowded with kids.

More of what is on during the Science Festival can be seen at http://www.atomfestival.org.uk/events/