PLANET SCIENCE NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 09 Stardate: Friday 8th November 2002 Did you know you can choose to receive this weekly news update free by email? sign up here OK eyes down for another tense round of news, information and things to make you go ooooooh! 01. TELL US MORE, TELL US MORE - do our online survey pleeeease 02. FESTIVE ACTIVITIES WANTED 03. FUNDING FOR SCIENCE-DRAMA PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE 04. ART COMPETITION from Institute of Animal Health 05. ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK - Flower Power 06. SEE A SOLAR POWERED CAR - Nanu 'Nuna'! 07. SCIENCE CLUBS – question time 08. BBC TRAINEESHIPS – online now 09. SCIENCE BEHIND THE NEWS - why clubbing and drinking don't mix 10. RECOMMENDED WEBSITES OF THE WEEK - brainy and Britney 11. JOKE OF THE WEEK 12. A.O.B. Sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin... ONLINE SURVEY Are you a regular visitor to the Planet Science website? (Correct answer: YES Acceptable answer: I'LL START RIGHT NOW) Because without being desperate in any way, the Planet Science team have taken the decision to offer all site visitors the chance to win a big wad of money. Yes, repeat: MONEY... Or a digital microscope. All that's required is the quick filling-in of a questionnaire. Boldly entitled 'Cash for Questions', the survey is for all perusers, whether new to the site or frequent-fliers. The idea is to find out more about who our Planet Science-Dot-Com audience is, what people think of the site, and how it might be improved in the future... Helping us improve the site is a fabulous opportunity for anyone of course … but just to make it all even more enticing, we're also offering £250 in CASH and 10 DIGITAL MICROSCOPES to the 11 lucky winners selected in the prize draw at the end of the month. So please please please do fill the form if you haven’t already. Go on. Help us. To help you. To help yourself. (Yeowch - who let David Brent in here?) Back to top FESTIVE ACTIVITIES - YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU! Also in relation to the Planet Science website, did you see the 'December Shakedown' last year? You clicked on it, it jiggled about, and up popped a festive fact or activity for every new day. Lovely things, about candles or snowflakes or icicles or how to make a bucket of snot. Anyway! We are looking for a new set of seasonal things to do. So if you know any good ones, please send them straight through by email to anne@planet-science.com. All activities we use will be rewarded with a box of good quality crackers and a lovely Santa hat. (None of that cheap commercial rubbish you so often see in the shops...) Back to top WELLCOME TRUST GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR ARTS PROJECTS On a very different note: If you're an individual or performing arts organisation with an interest in cutting edge science and how it affects 'real' people, here's some valuable news... The Wellcome Trust have just announced a new programme of funding called 'Pulse' in order to support the development of a number of youth arts projects exploring current biomedical issues. There are three levels of funding available, depending on the scale of the project proposed, and in each case what the organisers are looking for are highly innovative ideas that grapple with the real-life implications of issues such as embryo selection, genetic screening and mental illness. They say, "Projects can be developed by, for, or with young people. The most important thing is to interact imaginatively with a diverse audience of young people aged 10-20. We want to see proposals that are experimental but also accessible. Projects should spark off lively debates amongst audiences and participants." For further details or to order an application pack, visit their website at http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/pulse, or give them a ring on 0207 611 8222 or email: pulse@wellcome.ac.uk Back to top A DAY IN THE LIFE OF BACTERIA ...and from theatrical to visual art. The Institute for Animal Health have been in touch to tell us about their new schools' competition, 'A Day in the Life of Bacteria'. The aim of the competition is to get kids thinking about the lifestyles and habits of bacteria and how they interact with us humans. To enter, budding artists are invited to draw a cartoon showing a day in the life of bacteria - from the bug's point of view. For example, illustrating where they live, what they look like, what they eat, how they get about or how they interact with the human world. The closing date for the competition is 28 February 2003. Winning entries will receive £400 for their school, runners-up will receive £250. And all winning pupils will receive £15 book tokens and up to 4 tickets each to attend the Royal Show 2003. For further details and an entry form visit the I.A.H. website at: http://www.iah.bbsrc.ac.uk/iah_education/ Back to top ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK This week's activity uses flowers to prove that You Are What You Eat - or drink... and you can use them to decorate your home as well. What you'll need: White flowers - carnations, chrysanthemums, tulips etc A vase of water Food colouring/s What to do: 1. Put a flower in a vase with half a cup of water. 2. Mix 10 or more drops of food colouring into the water (all the one colour - if you want to try different colours, you'll need separate flowers and vases). 3. Leave the flower/s overnight, and in the morning you'll see the petals have changed colour. The longer you leave the flower in the coloured water, the more colour will fill the petals. What's going on: The food colouring travels up through the stem by capillary action and travels into the flower's petals. If you look closely at the petals, you can see the path that the food colour and water have travelled... Back to top WANT TO SEE A SOLAR POWERED CAR? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it Nuna, the amazing solar powered car that won the 2001 World Solar Challenge across Australia? Yes - it's the third one! And if you'd like to go and have a look at it, here's your chance. It's going to be on display at Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire on Tuesday December 3rd. Two of the drivers involved in the race will be accompanying Nuna to explain the workings of the car, and what it's like to drive her/him/it. To find out more, contact Francisca Wheeler on mfsw@ampleforth.org.uk or call her on 01439 766 893. She’s the person who invited you so be nice to her! Back to top SCIENCE CLUBBERS – QUESTION TIME Your opinions are in demand this week … not only in relation to the Planet Science website but also if you run, or are thinking of running a science club at your school. SciZmic, the science clubs discovery network, would love you to answer five easy questions for them. You can find the questions on their website at http://www.scizmic.net - look on the right, where it says ‘Complete the sciZmic questionnaire here and win prizes!’ What? What? MORE prizes? Yes it’s true - the first 5 schools or clubs to respond will receive a Bio Rad Jellyfish Gene kit. The next 5 schools will receive copies of the sciZmic science clubs resource pack. And everyone who responds will get a free poster about genetics and biotechnology!!! So don’t delay – the five questions won’t take you very long… Back to top WANT TO WORK FOR THE BBC? If you're interested in careers in broadcasting and engineering, the BBC want you to know that information about their 'Engineering Sponsorship and Vacation Training Scheme' 2002-3 and the 'Graduates for Technology at the BBC' scheme is now live on their website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/jobs/bbctrainees. There are several types of traineeships available, within the three divisions known as Broadcast Engineering; BBC Technology, Professional Solutions and R&D. If this sounds like your cup of tea, have a look at the website and get applying! No doubt competition will be fierce, so don't delay... Back to top SCIENCE BEHIND THE NEWS Everyone knows the dangers of drinking and driving... but what about drinking and clubbing?? This is a commonplace weekend combination for many many people in the UK. But there are specific health dangers involved, as a recent study discovered... Why? Read all about it here. Back to top RECOMMENDED WEBSITES OF THE WEEK Where would you be without your brain? Not able to look up this website that's for sure. THE HUMAN BRAIN http://www.fi.edu/brain/index.html Not only does they explain what your top 4 inches are made of, but also what food to eat to be kind to that grey matter; why exercise is good for braininess; how the brain can be harmed; what happens if it doesn't get enough sleep, and what the effects of stress are... It's all very clearly laid out and easy to read. Not masses of illustrations, but ... we think you'll like it. Very interesting. And from brains to Britney. You may have previously checked out that classic site, 'Britney's Guide to Semiconductor Physics' http://britneyspears.ac/lasers.htm, but it (she?) has now got some new areas to show you (so to speak) so it’s worth another mention! Let’s be honest even if you’re not really a huge physics fan, this site is a good laugh, very nicely put together, and a total marketing-coup in terms of popularising physics! And who knows, maybe it does have celebrity cred too. As it says in the introduction, "It is a little known fact, that Ms Spears is an expert in semiconductor physics. Not content with just singing and acting, in the following pages, she will guide you in the fundamentals of the vital laser components that have made it possible to hear her super music in a digital format.” More pics of Britney than lasers but hey maybe some people like that… Now then, is there an equivalently appealing site for the rest of us? Eg. ‘Ewan McGregor’s Guide to DNA?’ Oh come on, that would be a top idea … Back to top JOKE OF THE WEEK A tourist is traveling with a guide through one of the thickest jungles in Latin America, when he comes across an ancient Mayan temple. The tourist is entranced by the temple, and asks the guide for details. To this, the guide states that archaeologists are carrying out excavations, and still finding great treasures. The tourist then queries how old the temple is. "This temple is 2503 years old", replies the guide. Impressed at this accurate dating, he inquires as to how he gave this precise figure. "Easy", replies the guide, "the archaeologists said the temple was 2500 years old, and that was three years ago." Back to top ANY OTHER BUSINESS As you can see, we need some good jokes, so please send them in. Even mediocre ones will be seriously considered! We also need to know about science-related events around the country, and anything else that will be of interest to other newsletter readers… Send all contributions to Anne McNaught on anne@planet-science.com. And meanwhile - have a great week! Back to top