The world of virtual reality has not dimmed the fascination of real fire, loud noises and explosions for small boys and girls. Relatively low-tech, lowbudget science can still generate thrills. This was amply demonstrated recently by the ScienceWorks Roadshow which kept an audience of 70 fifth and sixth-year pupils rivetted for 60 minutes.

At first, things didn't seem very hopeful. The gym in Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal in Inchicore, Dublin, was chilly and all of the props for the promised music and fire shows were contained in a small blue plastic bin and a green box. When set up, the items reposing on the tables were worryingly ordinary - bottles with coloured water, a few straws, a slinky, a yellow tube, some coat hangers, candles, a tongs and a portable bunsen burner.

There were to be two shows - music and fire. The pupils were told about sound and vibrations and invited to watch a tuning fork vibrate. Next, the pupils were told they would see the vibrations. Any volunteers? Almost all hands shot up and one budding scientist, Philip, held the plastic cup of water steady while presenter Mary Kelly dipped a vibrating tuning fork into it. The resulting splash, and Philip's startled face, had all of the pupils roaring with laughter.

Then it was time for Tamara, William and Sean to form the coat-hanger orchestra, demonstrating that sound travels through solid matter. Fiona, with the aid of a slinky, showed how sound travels in waves. Straws and plastic tubes were converted into "musical instruments" and concepts such as amplification were demonstrated with the aid of a bucket and, yes, the ubiquitous blue plastic bin.

From music to fire. Ita Murphy sprang into action with her box of matches, bunsen and steel tray at the ready. She used cotton buds soaked in meths and motor oil to show how different fuels burn. Then it was time to put a tightly-folded sheet of newspaper to the torch.

This was followed by solid steel, which failed to ignite, and steel wool which was consumed in a glowing mass. The aim - to show how presenting materials in a different way to a flame makes a huge difference to how they burn and, also, the importance of oxygen in the equation.

THE HIT of the fire show was the controlled explosion using a tin, a candle and some cornflour. This mimicked the great explosions in grain silos and was a source of much amusement to the students.

"Did it take long for you to learn all those tricks, Miss?" was the first question asked. Comments on the show ranged from "brilliant" (Elaine, sixth class) to pretty good (Michael, sixth class) to "fun" (Eamonn, sixth class) to "brill" and "deadly." Stephen, in sixth class, said he would definitely be interested in science. Andrew, Andy, Chris, Roisin, Eamon, Michael, Sean and Caroline echoed his excitement. They all wanted to be scientists (or arsonists or bomb-makers, perhaps).

Forward-looking school principal Iggy Keane said that "given the fact that science will be part and parcel of the new curriculum it's important that it be made attractive to children." He said that the school actively tried to bring live shows to the children - Mhuire gan Smal has been visted by Team theatre, Sticks and Stones, the Garda band, the Army band, circuses . . .

The school offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities to its 300 pupils and educational trips and tours are a part of the school programme. Keane was attracted by the innovative nature of the ScienceWork's programme and he is very pleased with the way the show worked out.

THE ScienceWorks Roadshow is the brainchild of Tadhg Condon, a Kerry businessman, who set up up the first science centre in Ireland. Its main sponsor is the Science Technology and Innovation Awareness Programme which is managed by Forfas. The presenters are both graduates of the new M Sc course in science communication which is offered jointly by DCU and QUB. Ita Murphy is a chemistry graduate and Mary Kelly is a biochemistry graduate.

The science shows are suitable for both primary and second-level students. The one-hour performances include two 30-minute shows. The school can select form bubbles, fire, liquid nitrogen, music, mathemagic and slime.

The ScienceWorks Roadshow can be contacted at (087) 221 4121.