This segment from Backyard Science reflects the fun, hands-on and educational approach of the series. Aimed at kids aged 8 to 12, the program used children of its target age to explain science concepts and conduct scrappy experiments, with assistance from adult hosts Dafna Kronental and Tarun Victor Gordon.

Here we see a lesson in magnetic tape: Angus creates a secret code by using a magnet to polarise tape from an old cassette. Presented to the show’s young audience in a digestible form, the format encourages children to discover scientific proof themselves through intriguing and relatable narrative scenarios. In this instance, Angus has used the tape to hide a love message for his friend Lulu.

Backyard Science aired from 2003 until 2007 on the Seven Network and then ABC Kids. Based on Dorling Kindersley's book series of the same name, the franchise was driven by the ethos that science is all around us and can be discovered by anyone. Encouraging curiosity through a dynamic teaching format, its practical experiments showed that there was no need for expensive equipment or formal settings to learn. The concept of magnetic poles is taught using tape from a cassette – an item that kids’ parents might have still had around the house in 2007!