Ask most people to describe a scientist and they’ll normally come up with a mad professor-esque figure that mixes their secondary-school chemistry teacher with Dr Jekyll.

It’s a splendid fantasy: a goggled, overworked maniac in his white lab coat, frantically trying to reverse a botched experiment, but it’s out of date and a new campaign aims to prove it.

Science (So What? So Everything) is a Government-funded project designed to highlight the science behind our everyday lives and inspire young people to get involved. Its first summer seaside tour begins in Brighton today and its volunteer ambassadors, normally found beavering away in labs, hope to demonstrate how much fun scientists have.

Catherine Walker, a forensic scientist at Barts, the London School Of Medicine, and one of the campaign’s volunteers, will be giving out goodies and wowing audiences with her demonstrations and experiments.

“We want everyone to get involved – mums, dads and children – so they can all learn about science and perform the experiments at home. We will reveal just how much science affects every aspect of our daily lives,” says Catherine.

“Have you ever tried to break an egg by squeezing it? Well, the public will be able to learn why its shape makes it impossible, and that’s the reason curved structures are used in certain building situations.

“And though that may surprise you, when you see it’s possible to push a skewer through an inflated balloon without popping it, or turn water into blood, you really will be shocked. The scientists will even be using liquid nitrogen to make ice cream.”

Catherine spends her days using forensics to work through clues and solve London’s criminal mysteries. The stories can be as fascinating as the science, but she says it’s time we updated our perception of what it takes to be a scientist.

“I speak to people who have not been high achievers at school and they think science is not for them. Women often feel that way. I work in a male-dominated environment but my skills are vital. There are all sorts of opportunities for all sorts of people. There isn’t a typical scientist.”

Adam Manktelow, a trainee maths teacher and sports scientist graduate, is another ambassador. He is one of five scientists running the show.

“When I was younger I loved the fizzing and bubbling, the explosions, the bangs, and when things came to life. There will be plenty of opportunities for children to get their hands dirty and we will bring science to life for them.

“People think science is old men in lab coats but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s about understanding how and why things work. It is about engineering, how you drive to work, structures, buildings, and making things.”

Adam says the demonstrations will have the wow-factor because their volunteers want to spark people’s imagination.

“We want to make people think for themselves, to make them guess and then see what actually happens.”

*Free, noon to 2pm today.

To find out more about the campaign visit www.direct.gov.uk/sciencesowhat