CERN and EUROVISION are awarding grants to two production companies to develop multiplatform media proposals to spark the scientific curiosity of “tweens” – children aged eight to twelve.
“Children are the most remarkable example of curiosity,” says Sergio Bertolucci, CERN’s Director of Research and Computing. “We should not limit this curiosity, but develop it”.
"The best children's programmes educate and inform without the viewer even being aware,” says Annika Nyberg-Frankenhaeuser, EUROVISION Media director. “These science-themed series should not only entertain children, but inspire a new generation of scientists and inventors.”
This initiative, co-sponsored by CERN and EUROVISION, launched last November with a call for ideas for multiplatform programmes to fascinate tweens with fundamental physics. The call attracted 23 entries from 12 countries in Europe and beyond.
A panel of CERN scientists and EBU Community Members2 evaluated the proposals for their innovative, fresh approach to fundamental physics, stimulating the natural curiosity of children in an entertaining and creative way. Ideas needed to engage tweens in science beyond the television experience and appeal to different countries and cultures. Two projects were selected for further development:
“Cubic, Quark & Big-G”, proposed by Baby Cow Animation & Bigfatstudio, is an animation series where robot heroes explore fundamental physics in a fun and formative way. Through cartoon slapstick and perilous gags, the characters make specific discoveries about topics, including the mystery of gravity, space-time, string theory and the Higgs boson.
“Quarks!”, from production company Screen Glue, is a series of short films to target the YouTube generation featuring three teenage pranksters who share a super power – the ability to alter fundamental laws of physics.
Both projects will be presented at the EUROVISION Science & Knowledge pitching session, taking place in Berlin during the week of 9 September alongside the EUROVISION Creative Forum.