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01. THE (PLANET) SCIENCE OF COOKERY
 Our excellent Planet Science Diner in the Out There section of the website is so good that it’s worth a second mention. The ‘have fun with your food’ section is definitely a favourite, with some fascinating experiments including how to grow your own yoghurt and churn your own butter! In terms of tasty science it just has to be the edible DNA model. This will sweeten any attempt to learn the complexities of DNA! Go HERE for all this and more.  |
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02. SEEKING SCOUTS Planet Science is working with SETNET to increase the number of women and ethnic minorities taking part in Science and Engineering Ambassadors (SEAS). We are looking for people who come into contact with scientists and engineers who would make fantastic role models for pupils and can inspire them in science to work with us in the recruitment process. For further information please contact Sarah Hemmings at sarah@planet-science.com |
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03. VISIONS OF SCIENCE Ever wanted to be an award-winning photographer? Well, now’s your chance. May we introduce the national Novartis and The Daily Telegraph Visions of Science Photographic Awards. These awards started in 2000 and attract an increasing number of entrants. This year a new category makes its debut – the Young Photographer Award. This is a great chance for anyone under 18 (and in full-time education) to explore the artistic side of science. There are two age groups, under 16 and 17-18 year olds. Each winner will receive a Kodak Easyshare Zoom digital camera CX4230, donated by Kodak Ltd. As an extra incentive for teachers to encourage their students to get involved, the Young Peoples’ Award winners’ schools will also receive £500 to be spent on science equipment. This is being donated by our lovely friends at the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA).  So, how do you win? They’re looking for pictures that show science in our everyday lives – in nature, medicine, food, technology, engineering and art. You might find inspiration in your science lessons, under a microscope or you might prefer to get back to nature and explore outside. There’s even the option to enter a science concept that has been developed on a computer. Whatever you decide, the helpful organisers have given us these top tips to pass on:
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04. SOUTHAMPTON FOR SCIENCE WEEK During our perusal of various sites this week we stumbled across this itinerary of events at Southampton University - http://www.soton.ac.uk/~sciweek/ - and thought we’d take this opportunity to tell you South Coast dudes all about it. There’s some innovative lectures happening, like “Flight of the dragon? Fossils and feathered dinosaurs from China”, plus an Ocean and Earth day on the 15th March. However, we really liked the look of the family day on Saturday 8th March (and it’s got nothing do to with the Lego wars head-to-head, honest guv’). Get yourselves down there! Don’t forget that National Science Week runs from 7th –16th March and you can find out what’s going on in your area at http://www.the-ba.net. We’re also gagging for your ideas or stories of what you’re up to this year so feel free to share. |
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05. MAGIC COTTON This week’s activity of the week can either be used as a very intellectual scientific demonstration or a fiendishly clever illusion* to fox your friends until they’re ready to pull their hair out! You will need: • 1 length of cotton thread • An ice cube • Salt Instructions: Lay the cotton flat over the top of the ice cube with the ends hanging off the sides. *For the illusion you can leave the cotton next to the ice cube and start smugly challenging all and sundry to lift the ice cube using the cotton. Now, take a pinch of salt (not too much) and sprinkle it over the top of the ice cube. *Again, for the ‘magic trick’ version at this point you can make everyone say they give up, place the cotton over the ice cube as above and nonchalantly reach for a handy salt shaker……. Wait for a minute or so. *If doing the trick you could chat casually with your onlookers about your newfound magic powers. Finally, take hold of the thread, one end with each hand, and gently raise the ice cube. *Obviously feel free to add some nonsensical ‘magic’ words at this point to really irritate your patient audience! But that’s amazing – how on earth??? Well, it’s all very simple really. The cotton becomes attached to the ice cube because the salt lowers the freezing point of the water and melts the ice. The top of the ice cube then quickly re-freezes, trapping the cotton under a thin layer of ice – allowing you to pick it up. Watch out - if you add too much salt, you just get a layer of water on top of your ice cube, which won’t have a chance to re-freeze. Whether you opt for a mystical David Blaine-esque performance or a more standard demo and explanation, your audience will be bound to think you’re as cool as a cube of H_0! For more simple yet satisfying ideas see our online Little Book at http://www.planet-science.com/experiment/index.html |
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06. MOUSES AT THE READY Roll up roll up for a chance to dive in to the very official sounding National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth. This is a place that’s really got to grips with idea of combining education with, frankly, very wet fun! Even if you don’t get a chance to visit the centre, their website is a must for anyone with even the remotest interest in environmental science, marine biology, animal science, aquaculture and so on, http://www.national-aquarium.co.uk. If you’re in the Plymouth area and fancy a great day out, we have 4 tickets to give away to this top destination. The National Marine Aquarium is a charity dedicated to raising awareness of the oceans and the challenges they face. It differs from other aquariums in the UK because it was the first to be set up solely for the purpose of education, conservation and research. And what better setting than Plymouth with its wealth of maritime heritage – did you know that it was from Plymouth that the Mayflower set out in search of a brave new world... So if you want to find out what a shark eats in a week or what they keep in the deepest tank in Europe then e-mail joanna@planet-science.com with the words SHIVER ME TIMBERS in the subject line. Don’t forget to include your name and address in the message body so we can send the tickets if you’re lucky enough to get picked! The winners of last week’s free tickets to the ‘Life of Mammals’ exhibition in Birmingham were Phillip Maxfield in High Wycombe and Andy Rees in Deeside. Well done to you, and thanks to everyone who entered. |
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07. SCIENCE BEHIND THE NEWS Last weekends anti-war demonstration was said to be the biggest ever, anywhere in Britain. This week Science Line have been looking at those ever-changing attendance figures and trying to make some sense of how there can be a difference of a million and a half people from one estimate to the next! Find out how they got on at: http://www.sciencenet.org.uk |
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| 08. RECOMMENDED WEBSITES OF THE WEEK First up this week is the... Shark Trust http://www.sharktrust.org  This is a site to dispel all those silly Jaws type fears of the magnificent creature that is the shark. Now, as anyone with more than a passing interest in sharks will know, sharks are graceful, intelligent and essential to our underwater ecosystems. As us landlubbers are pretty reliant on the seas (they control our climate, shape the land, provide us with power and minerals….), that makes sharks pretty flaming important to us too! This site explains everything I’ve just said but with more detail (and eloquence!). Please be aware that some of the content on the site isn’t for the fainthearted as they do go into some detail about the cruelty of shark hunting. The second recommended site is a huge affair but the section we’ve been looking at is great for whiling away many a happy hour gazing at beautiful blue pictures of underwater creatures... The Discovery Channel http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/blueplanet/blueplanet.html  Don’t miss the ‘dumbo’ octopus in the images gallery or the chance to spot a giant squid by going deep underwater in a virtual submersible. This really is a very thorough site for anyone with an interest in all things wet and wild, each section you go to has a set of well picked links down the left for even more info on the bits you like! |
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09. HAIKU CHALLENGE Yes, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for, the results of the Haiku Challenge set in Newsletter Issue 19. The response has been great and the quality superb, with haikus from all over the country and from many different perspectives. The decision was made after much deliberation and using strict criteria including imagery, use of traditional haiku values and of course the ones we really liked! Remember that the five winning haiku writers receive an Intel Digital Play Microscope for themselves or their school. So......... drum roll please......... and the winners are......... in no particular order.......... Gentle snowflakes fall, A soft silent second skin, Masking the land’s scars Judith Russell Bury Church of England High School Chemicals, liquids And functioning inventions, In a science lab Rebecca Smith Year 4, Summercroft JM School To grow a new plant You need water, light and warmth Nature does it all Y3/Y4 pupil at Hutton Rudby Primary School Ever pumping round Scarlet king of the body Forever alive Lily Hamnett Year 10, Kings High School for Girls Lovely full test tube Knocked with bunsen, now ablaze Hexane sure burns well! Philip Whitehead So, there you have it, five very different efforts have earned five identical microscopes! If you are one of the lucky ones mentioned above then e-mail joanna@planet-science.com and give us FULL details of where you would like the microscope to be sent (including a contact name). Please e-mail from the same address that the haiku was originally sent from so that authenticity can be verified. Goodness that was fun! Time to start thinking up the next creative challenge for you to get your teeth into. Just time for a haiku that deserves a notable mention if only for its marketing qualities! So a big thank you to Steve Nixon at Two Trees Community College for this one: Find nature’s beauty In tiny bird and blue whale It’s planet science |
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| 10. JOKE OF THE WEEK Just to show how much we appreciate all the feedback we get from our lovely readers, this week we’re only printing jokes that have come from you! Here’s a limerick sent in by Andrew Rankin at Esther College: There was a young lady called bright Whose speed was far faster than light She went out one day, In a relative way, And returned the previous night. And lastly, a joke for the genuine scientists amongst you: Q. What did the cat say as it fell off the hot tin roof? A. Mu (referring to the coefficient of sliding friction) |
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| THE END Phew – that’s all (all???) for this week, hope you enjoyed it, please come again. Any comments, questions, jokes or ideas for a new challenge would be most welcome to joanna@planet-science.com. |
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