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In a celebration of science, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One is holding a channel event that will put science to the test, live on air.

Tomorrow (Tuesday 14 July), ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One will unveil a continuous chain of science events, in real time, with no special effects and just one chance to get it right.

The live, three-minute TV promotion, aired between The One Show and EastEnders, is a first for the channel.

The live event is the start of an ongoing campaign that aims to get the nation talking about science, marking this month's launch of ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One's new prime time science series, Bang Goes The Theory.

Jay Hunt, Controller, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One, said: "This ambitious live experiment is a first for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One – none of us know quite what will happen but it promises to be an unmissable celebration of science on the channel."

Starting with a pushbike that powers a van de Graaff generator, the three-minute long, continuous chain of events will make up a giant contraption – made of everyday laboratory objects – that uses scientific principles of action and reaction to create a constantly moving cascade that will be tested live on air.

The science cascade will feature the four presenters from Bang Goes The Theory: Dallas Campbell; Liz Bonnin; Jem Stansfield; and Dr Yan Wong.

Liz Bonnin says: "Am I worried about taking part in a cascade of science-based events live on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One? A teeny bit, but that adds to the fun of it!"

The live science promo is only the beginning of an on-going ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ campaign, organised by ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Learning, to stimulate the nation's passion for science.

The multimedia campaign incorporates online activities, including science demonstrations that anyone can try at home, and a free, interactive science roadshow that the public can attend.

The UK has already been following progress of the development of the giant contraption online.

In mid-June, more than 10,000 people took part in an online vote on how to complete one section of the giant contraption and decided that Dr Yan Wong should be transported across a 2.5m void using magnetism.

³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One is currently airing clips showing the progress and development of the live science event.

Dr Yan Wong says: "It'll be great to see whether we can successfully link together so many cool scientific demonstrations. As a scientist, it's fantastic to do something that brings science alive for a wider audience."

Following the launch of Bang Goes The Theory, the show's four presenters will be visiting seven towns and cities across the UK, giving the nation the chance to watch and participate in Bang Goes The Theory interactive roadshows that bring science to life in front of the audiences' eyes.

More information will follow on dates and locations.

The live science promo will air between The One Show and EastEnders tomorrow (Tuesday 14 July). The promo will be streamed live on bbc.co.uk and following the event will be available to watch at bbc.co.uk/bang.

Notes to Editors

Pictures are available on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ pictures website, www.bbcpictures.com.

The live promo is being directed by Grant Gee, an award-winning TV documentary maker who directed Demon Days, a Grammy-nominated film from the Gorillaz.

Bang Goes The Theory is due for transmission from Monday 27 July (10 x 30-minutes) and is an Open University/³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ co-production.

For more information about the OU's involvement, visit www.open2.net/banggoesthetheory.

³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Learning delivers campaigns that aim to inspire and empower individuals to take action – action that changes their lives, benefits communities and helps to transform society. For more information visit bbc.co.uk/learning.

EDA/VAA