Terry the teacake above the Earth

Glasgow Science

What is Glasgow Science?

Glasgow Science is a series of videos from Glasgow Science Centre, where we are taking on science with a Scottish accent! We hope to spark your imagination to explore the world around you, to discover and enjoy science and understand its relevance to your lives.

Zoom down the page to: Terry the Teacake | Can you send a teacake into space? | Can you cook a tattie scone with science? | Dropped from a great height | True or false: all of Santa's reindeer are female? | Why do Brussels sprouts make you fart? | Meet Craig: GSC's Arctic Explorer

Meet Craig: GSC's Arctic Explorer

Glasgow Science's Science Sam heads to the chiller with GSC'er Craig Rooney who is about to swap his cosy job for an incredible experience on board a research cruise to the Arctic Circle!

Why do Brussels sprouts make you fart?

Glasgow Science took to the Christmas markets, streets and shopping centres to ask the people of the city, why - love 'em or hate 'em - Christmas greens make you toot!

True or false: all of Santa's reindeer are female?

There's Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen! Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen, and of course red-nosed Rudolph. But, Glasgow Science took to the Christmas markets and asked festive shoppers... TRUE or FALSE - all of Santa's reindeer are female?

Will a bottle of 'Glasgow's finest' survive a drop from a great height?

As 700 hungry weans will tell you, ye cannae fling pieces out a twenty story flat, but can you throw a glass bottle of ginger from Glasgow Tower? Science Sam grabs his safety harness and travels 40 metres up the iconic city landmark to find out if he can save the glass bottle ending up in the big bottle bank in the sky.

Terry the Teacake

Watch the incredible footage of "Terry" the Teacake as he travels above Glasgow, Scotland and beyond!

Highlights of Terry's space adventures:

  • Terry was airborne for 2 hours and 4 minutes from launch until he landed. 
  • His peak altitude was 37,007 metres — it took 1 hour and 29 minutes to reach this point
  • At his peak altitude, Terry would have been exposed to to UV-C, which is a type of harmful ultraviolet radiation which the ozone layer otherwise absorbs to stop it reaching ground level. 
  • It took Terry 40 minutes to return back to earth. 
  • Terry was pretty intact when he landed in a tree in Galloway Forest Park — we did not eat him!

Can you send a teacake into space?

What would happen if you sent one of Scotland's much loved Tunnock's Teacakes into space? 

In the latest Glasgow Science video, we put “Terry the Teacake” through astronaut training where the marshmallow treat took part in a simulated rocket launch, was exposed to the low temperatures and pressure of space and then the blistering heat experienced during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere!

 

Can you cook a tattie scone with science?

Our very own Science Sam is on a mission to find out if you can cook this essential component of any fry-up with science!

 

The Legal Bit

The experiments featured in this video are performed by trained professionals using scientific equipment in controlled environments. Please do not attempt to copy, re-create, or perform these experiments (or anything similar) without professional training, as personal injury, death and/or property damage may occur.

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