Who teaches us the most when we’re children? Parents and teachers are high on everyone’s list. Books are on mine, although if I grew up today that probably would have been beaten by the internet. Friends play an important role. But there’s a source that’s often overlooked, despite how deeply influential they are: siblings. If you were lucky enough to have a sibling, and particularly if you were younger, your brother or sister(s) will have had a significant impact on your education, both directly and indirectly. My own brother helped me learn how to ride a bike, did quizzes with me and explained long division. I also read the books on his shelf, picked up the best times to sneak treats from the cupboard and witnessed the joy of learning a musical instrument.

It’s something researchers have looked at too. Studies have found that older siblings can be one of the biggest influences on a younger child’s cognitive development and flexibility, and memory. Older brothers and sisters’ reading habits have been shown to encourage literacy skills in their younger siblings. Not that it only works in one direction. Using books to engage with their siblings can aid older children too. The time spent together over the years amounts to a lot. In fact, a 2015 study found eldest children boost the performance of their younger brothers and sisters by an amount equivalent to, at the time, more than $1000 of school spending.

 

This was something I wanted to draw on in Cosmo Park. It begins as Kara and her dad (with cat Sandro secretly in attendance) head to her sister’s university open day where she’s studying astrophysics. Dad is very excited, and can’t wait to find out more about the stars from Kehlani. Meanwhile, Kara gets an insight into what higher education might be like as well as exposure to people interested in learning and science.

As a younger sister, Kara also is keen to set herself apart. She quickly makes it known that space is her sister’s thing. She’s into art. However, when Kara’s adventure goes intergalactic she finds herself intrigued by all the things she’s discovering about the universe.

Trying to be your own person is another fascinating part of the sibling dynamic. Kara and Kehlani are, in many ways, a mirror image of my own experience. I had a childhood filled with music, literature and theatre, and my brother was annoyingly good at all of them. So I got into science to have something that was not only mine, but something that I could be the best at. My brother went to drama school and I ended up studying astrophysics. In that sense, my journey doesn’t reflect the research. Younger siblings are guided by their older sibling’s educational decisions, often following them to the same colleges and even the same field of study. This is especially true for siblings of the same sex, although there are plenty of famous examples of brothers and sisters sharing interests. The younger sister of William Herschel, the first professional astronomer and discoverer of Uranus and infrared radiation, was a brilliant astronomer too. Caroline Herschel was the first woman to discover a comet.

We may not have taken identical paths, but today, my brother and I both are writers. So perhaps we didn’t escape the sibling influence after all! I bring together a combination of a love for storytelling he helped instill in me, and my own scientific lens. This is what Cosmo Park is all about. Exploring science through story, drama, characters, emotions and humour! For lots of us, this mode of learning is more effective than being presented with facts, no matter how interesting they are.

Forging an independent path can also help children to discover new people and places to learn from, and figure out how they acquire knowledge best. In Cosmo Park, Kara ends up at an open day on another planet. Initially hesitant, she chats with scientists and students, does experiments, rides on a buggy, embarks on a VR experience and rollercoaster, and discovers astrophysics in her own way – through creativity, play and trying to avoid imminent disaster!

This adventure also presents her with an opportunity that’s usually reserved for the older siblings – the pleasure of sharing what you’ve learned. She can’t wait to finally be the teacher, and tell Kehlani and Dad about what she’s discovered. This is a delight I get to experience as a science communicator. I spend my time speaking to experts about all kinds of topics from space to psychology and the environment. I  then work out how best to turn that information into something intriguing and entertaining for a general audience, or the hardest audience of all – kids! Sometimes, these days, I even get to teach my brother a thing or two.