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Stardate Friday 15 December 2006 Issue 213
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Welcome to the final Planet Science Newsletter of 2006! And like most of us over this festive holiday – it’s stuffed to the gunwales with treats. So as the big chap in red would say, ho-ho-hope you have a happy holiday and look forward to seeing you in 2007! Take it away Rudolph...
The line-up this week:
- The Astronomy of Astrology: Aries
- Stump the Scientist: Supersonic Santa
- Noticeboard: FYI
- The Winners’ Enclosure
- Have you been paying attention? The Bumper End –of-Year Quiz
Hark! Can you hear bells? Oh look – it’s the Christmas Fairy, our very own Astronomer Extraordinaire, Alison Begley here to tell us all about this month’s constellation.
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1. The Astronomy of Astrology: Aries
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 This month is 'Make Friends with a Gemini Month'. Always thought Aries and Geminis were incompatible? Guess again - you two have so much in common...
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 Aries (March 21 - April 19)
How to find Aries... Find Orion and use his belt to point you upwards, then drop a line down from the last stroke of Cassiopeia's W and where these lines intersect you'll find the centre of Aries. Both Cassiopeia and Orion are blazingly obvious in the winter sky... Aries is also visible due south around 10pm towards the end of the month and reasonably high above the horizon.
More than half the stars we can see aren't drifting around in space alone. Instead they have companions, sometimes just one but often they have many. Much of the time we can't see these double stars individually, even with a telescope, either because they are too close together, or too far away, or both. And frequently two stars appear close together when they simply lie along the same line of sight in the sky.
The two stars at the centre of Mesarthim, Aries bottom right star, are non-identical twins. Over ten times as far away from each other as Pluto is from the Sun, these stars orbit each other every 5000 years. And orbiting this pair is another star, making Mesarthim a triple star system. You can see their combined light with the naked eye.
Mesarthim's twins are visible separately with a telescope because they are so far apart, but many double stars are much closer and considerably more dramatic. Such double stars can be so close they share their outer layers of gas, some steal gas off their companions causing huge novae eruptions, while others consume their companions causing the entire system to explode in a supernova. Have a look at Algol, which is just a little up from Aries...in this pair, the bright blue star has already consumed much of its orange companion.
So Aries, this month grab a Gemini and share their interest in all things double.
Next month... Taurus... it's time to grab the bull by the horns.
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Thanks Alison! Like the star on your wand by the way, very appropriate.
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2. Stump the Scientist
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Last week’s question came from All of the Children in the World, Planet Earth, the Universe.
They asked
“How can Father Christmas deliver all of his presents all around the world in one night?”
Deathly silence permeated the Planet Science office. A tumbleweed was seen blowing across the back of the filing cabinets. Could it be that the scientist has, at last, been stumped? Surely not?
Have no fear; scientists have given the matter a great deal of thought as you can see in Santa at Nearly the Speed of Light and The Independent.
If you can help or if you have a burning question of your own then send us an email with STUMP THE SCIENTIST in the subject line to planet-science.news@nesta.org.uk
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Planet Science December Quiz
Don’t forget to have a go at the December Quiz. Yes it’s panto time! Get festive with ten questions about some of our favourite pantos. With a science twist naturally. Where’s my gluteus maximus? It’s BEHIND you! Get them all right and you’ll go into the draw for 1 of 3 £50 theatre tokens, which should help a lot if you go see your own local panto.
Enter here.
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Last week we offered one lucky winner the chance to win a Master Spy Pack and the winner is Reuben Thompstone of London. Psst! The red fox dances at dawn. Nudge! (That’s spy code for ‘your prize is on its way’).
Also last week we offered TWO family ticket packages to the Science of Spying exhibition at the Science Museum. The lucky winners are Rachael Stone of Sedgley and Charlie Harber of St Albans.
Enjoy!
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5. Have you been paying attention?
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Ahem! Gather round everyone. It has come to our attention that some people (you know who you are!) are very sparing with their newsletter. To whit, many articles are passing right under people’s noses. So here’s your chance to prove us wrong by having a bash at the Bumper End-of-Year Quiz. Chance to relive some of the best bits of the year’s newsletters. Answers are at the end but NO PEEKING!
March 174
- Kicking off in March with Janice Hodge's knitted gut, which of these knitted, crochetted or quilted items have we not featured this year?
a) Knitted Nautiloids
b) Knitted and Quilted Brains
c) Crocheted Bacteria
April 179
 In April we alerted you to a new CD featuring the sounds of some of the rarest animals in the UK. Which of these animals does NOT feature on the CD?
a) Woodlark
b) Noctule bat
c) Grey squirrel May 182
- In May we celebrated National be Nice to ******* Week. Useful in manure, dye, medicine and even tea, what was this plant?
a) Ivy
b) Nettles
c) Grass
August 197
- In the hot month of August we were advised to eat some even hotter curry to treat headaches and ward off colon cancer. This was because they contain salicylate, the active ingredient in which household medicine?
a) Aspirin
b) Paracetamol
c) Penicillin
September 198
 In the UK cows go 'moo', with or without a regional accent. In France they go 'meuh, and in China they go 'mu mu'. What do cows say in Germany?
a) mmuuh
b) baa
c) meiow And news from the inside...
March 173
- What is the objective of our new game 'Get Clobbered', which we told you about in March?
a) Garden overrun with moles? Hit them with your enormous mallet before they wreck your lawn!
b) Avoid acid in the eyes by wearing the right gear for the right science job!
c) Grab as much science swag as you can before the Science Police catch you!
August 196
- In August we dedicated an entire edition of the newsletter to which branch of science?
a) Physics
b) Botany
c) Entomology
September 198
 Which set of islands featured in September's quiz?
a) Shetlands
b) Canaries
c) Galapagos September 200
- Announced in the 200th edition of the newsletter, what transformation took place on the Planet Science website this year?
a) A totally redesigned homepage
b) It changed from black and white to colour
c) The site has been entirely translated into Spanish.
November 209
- How many Bond film titles were hidden in our special Bond edition?
a) 1
b) 6
c) 10
Call my bluff... aka the Planet Science Dictionary
Decide whether these definitions are true or a bluff!
February 171
 Phytohaemagglutinins
Proteins that bind to red blood cells causing them to clump together. The result is extreme nausea, severe vomiting, followed by diarrhoea, and all accompanied by abdominal pain.
April 177
- Phlebotomy
This is blood-letting where ill patients were partially drained of blood to 'balance their humours', phlegm, yellow bile or black bile!
June 188
- Phlogiston
A substance which, if a material contained it, allowed it to burn. Phlogiston was given off by burning leaving the calx behind.
October 204
- Paraskevidekatriaphobia
This is an irrational fear of double-decker buses, particularly of sitting or standing on the upper deck.
November 210
- Entomophagy
The study of moth flight patterns around artificial light sources.
Activities of the year...
January 167
- One of our January activities required two sherry glasses, an egg and infinite patience. What were you expected to do with them?
February 168
- What item, usually found on New Year's day, was required for one of Jonathon Sanderson's activities? The challenge was to drop it so it landed on one end.
June 185
- What large garden power tool was required in a funny, spectacular and ecologically unsound June activity?
September 198
- What item of clothing did we suggest you bury after going for a long walk in September?
November 207
- What bubble-forming combo, found in dozens of science experiments, can you add to your toffee to make cinder toffee. It’s easier to eat so you can get through more, faster!
Features packed with facts...
February 168
 If the wrong parts are eaten, how many people could a single Fugu fish kill?
a) 3
b) 30
c) 300 March 172
- Along with bitter almonds, where can you also find amygdalin, a substance which the body converts to cyanide?
a) Apple pips
b) Banana skin
c) Orange pips
May 182
- In May Simone Baroke's Fatal foods (and E-numbers) made it to the main site. On which section of the site can they be found?
a) Oh Please!
b) Playbox
c) Planet Science Diner
August 196
- Which constellation would you be looking through if you were looking towards the centre of our galaxy?
a) Ursa Major
b) Sagittarius
c) Orion
October 205
- For how many days would you have to fart to collect enough methane to cook a pizza?
a) 232
b) 414
c) 783
Mouses at the ready
168 February
- Where would you have to have gone in February to taste the science of chocolate?
a) Newcastle’s Centre for Life
b) Birmingham Thinktank
c) The Science Museum, London
176 & 177 March April
- In March and April the Royal Society of Chemistry gave away some puzzle books with a chemistry twist. Which of these puzzles was NOT given a chemical treatment?
a) Sudoku
b) Word Search
c) Crossword
198 September
- What animal was given away at the beginning of September? They have no arms, legs or eyes, they are hermaphrodites, and their waste is high in nitrate, potash, phosphorus and magnesium.
a) Kittens
b) Snakes
c) Worms
200 September
- In the 200th edition of Planet Science Newsletter, how many different give-aways were there? (Hint: For one you had to answer a question).
a) 1
b) 9
c) 200
202 September
 To win the award winning game Polarity in September, which two words did you have to insert in the subject of your email?
a) Fatal Attraction
b) Super Conductivity
c) Sheer Magnetism Recommended Websites...did you follow the link? If you didn't you missed out!
March 172
- Did you click for climate change during science week? Which of these activities would NOT lower your carbon footprint?
a) Replacing ordinary light bulbs with energy saving ones.
b) Switching your TV off rather than leaving it on standby.
c) Wearing a hat and gloves during the summer.
June 186
- Which famous physicist's laws of motion are all that is needed to explain how this man can juggle three (and many more) balls!
a) Newton
b) Darwin
c) Faraday
June 189
 Did you spot how truly miniscule our world is on 'The size of our World'? But do you know which of these is the biggest?
a) Sirius
b) Arcturus
c) Betelguese July 191
- A fantastic piece of research published in The Onion proves what we have known all along. What was it?
a) Science has only been around since the 1960s
b) Science is really, really hard
c) Scientists are bad drivers
October 204
- Polar bears only live...
a) ...in the Arctic (unless they are in zoos)
b) ...in the Antarctic (unless they are in zoos)
c) ...at the Equator
October 205
- To repeat a fantastic experiment all you need to do is add what to your fizzy drink?
a) A straw
b) Water
c) Salt
Jokes of the year
Fill in the missing word(s)...
- Q. How many knees do humans have?
A. Four. A right knee, a left knee, and two ***-*****!
- Doctor, Doctor, I can't stop stealing things.
Take these pills for a week; if that doesn't work I'll have a ****** **!
- Q. How do you get down from an elephant?
A. You don't. You get it from a ****!
- F(x) walks into a bar and says "A pint of lager and a plate of fish and chips please"
"I can give you the pint" says the barman, "But we don't cater for ********* here"
The Answers...
News from the world outside Planet Science
- c
- c
- b
- a
- a
And news from the inside…
- b
- a
- c
- a
- b
Call my bluff… aka the Planet Science Dictionary
- TRUE
- TRUE
- TRUE
- BLUFF - it is actually fear of Friday 13th
- BLUFF - it is the term used for eating insects
Activity of the week…
- Blow the egg from one glass to the other.
- A cork
- A leaf blower
- A sock
- Sodium bicarbonate and vinegar
Features packed with facts…
- b
- a
- c
- b
- b
Mouses at the ready...
- a
- b
- c
- b
- c
Recommended Websites... did you follow the link? If you didn't you missed out!
- c
- a
- c
- b
- a
- c
Jokes of the year
- KID-KNEES
- COLOUR TV
- DUCK
- FUNCTIONS
Happy holidays one and all! The Planet Science Newsletter is back on the 12th January 2007. If you’re around at the ASE Conference in Birmingham from the 4th to the 6th January, do come and say hello to us and we’ll tell you what’s in store from us in 2007. We’re on stand DS3 and we will have chocolate. Take it easy y’hear!
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