 |
 |
|
 |
1. Win an Intel microscope
|
 |
|
 How would you like to get your paws on a brand new Digital Blue QX3+ microscope? Silly question. You can link it to your laptop or PC, project images on a whiteboard, capture images and edit them, use timelapse effects… Need we go on? It can magnify 10x, 60x and 200x. So how to win one? Well we’d like to know your ideas on how you would use it. Comparing dog hairs in a ‘Who ate my bone?’ whodunnit exercise, look at what lives in puddles, using red onion cells to provide a Pink Floyd ‘Brick in the Wall’ backdrop – oh, sorry, just thinking aloud. Anyway you must have LOADS of good ideas. So send them in to us and we will put you into a draw (not literally of course) from which we will randomly select TWO winners. All ideas will then be collated and featured on the Planet Science website for any would-be microscopist to try out. What a bonus that would be. So, to recap:
Send your ideas for how you would use a Digital Blue QX3+ computer microscope (the more detail the better) in an email with your name and address, and the words UNDER THE MICROSCOPE in the subject line, to planet-science.news@nesta.org.uk. The two winners will be picked at random at 5pm on Wednesday 28th February. So you might just get it in time for National Science and Engineering Week! Hooray! All of your good ideas will be added on to our new microscope page.
|
|
|
|
|
2. Mouses at the Ready
|
|
|
 Still on the subject of microscopy, this week we have a wonderful book by Giles Revell to give away. It contains fascinating images of insects by electron microscopy. To quote his book
“In a series of beautifully crafted prints, Giles Revell presents stunning images of common British insects on a heroic scale. Focussing on form and surface in minute and meticulous detail, he reveals the astonishing sculptural, textural and engineering qualities of these time creatures.”
What is electron microscopy you may well ask? An SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) is essentially a high magnification microscope, which uses a focussed scanned electron beam to produce images of the sample. It can magnify up to 200,000 times. Just a little bit more powerful than the Digital Blue QX3+ then.
Freshly caught specimens of everyday or well-known insects, such as the woodlouse, ladybird, grasshopper or scarab, were used to create the works. Detail such as colour is lost in the process of coating the specimens in gold (Hmm. Could this have inspired Goldfinger?) in order to photograph them under the electron microscope. The result is that it is mainly the undersides of the insects that we see, and that interesting comparisons can be made between genera from the photographs.
If you’d like it, send an email with your name and address, and the words MICRO BUG in the subject line, to planet-science.news@nesta.org.uk.
The draw will take place at 5pm on Wednesday 21st February.
|
|
|
|
|
|
3. Stump the Scientist
|
|
|
 Do you remember a couple of weeks ago when Dani Haydock asked
“Perhaps not a very scientific question but then I'm not a scientist - does wind make a noise? Or is it just the stuff that gets in its way that makes the noise???? Hmmm. My 9 year old says it does make a noise - he's learnt it at school!”
Paul M. Campbell says:
“What you have got to rmember is that sound is caused by the vibrations of particles. Wind contains particles and when it blows these particles move, therefore it is this movement and vibrations of these particles that causes wind to be noisy.”
And Wendy Sadler adds
“I just had to read up on this for a radio programme I do and I found out that the reason the wind whistles through the trees (and other things) is to do with the way the air moves other things about. With pine trees for example, the wind goes past the pine needles and as the air rushes past it leaves a really turbulent, ruffled up bit of air at the back of the needle. This turbulent air is what starts the vibration that makes the sound you hear. It is the same kind of thing that happens when you blow over the top of a bottle. The movement of the air is disturbed by hitting the opening of the bottle and the turbulence starts up the vibration which is made louder by the air inside the bottle resonating.
Some scientists have even worked out a formula to predict what pitch the sound will be related to what size the pine needles are!
In general wind on its own can't make a sound but if it blew past the window of a house, the turbulence of the wind hitting the building and can make a vibration that we can hear.”
So thanks everyone! On this occasion the scientist was NOT stumped.
As for this week’s question
“I'd like to know why, day length in the UK, changes asymmetrically: In December, Sunset starts to get later from 19th Dec, ie BEFORE the shortest day, but sunrise doesn't get earlier until 5th Jan.
Can anyone help?”
Thanks,
Anne Brown (a science teacher who is all too aware that she doesn't know it all!)
Yikes! That sounds a tricky one. Anyone want to take it on?
If you can help or 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
|
|
|
|
|
4. Activity of the Week: A-maze-ing onions
|
|
|
 You will need:
- An onion (ideally already sprouting)
- A shoe box
- Another spare cardboard box
- Strong scissors
- Sticky tape
What to do:
- First build a maze for your onion!
- Use your spare cardboard box to cut rectangles about the same size as the smaller side of the shoe box. These will be the dividers inside your maze. You need at least two but you could make more if you like.
- For each divider, cut a ‘window’ in the cardboard about 3 cm square. It will make the maze more interesting if they are in different positions on each divider.
- Cut an ‘exit’ door for the onion shoot at one end of the shoe box.
- Put the onion at the other end of the shoe box..
- Fit the dividers into the box, spacing them out between the onion and the exit. Try to put them in so the onion will have to change direction to get through each hole.
- Try to find a sunny place to leave it (so the sun can shine on the exit) but where it won’t be disturbed.
- Leave for about 3 weeks and then check to see how it’s getting on.
What’s going on?
The sprouts on your onion should have started to find their way out of the maze. They are growing towards the light coming through the exit. Biologists call this phototropism. You might have noticed this already with indoor plants. They grow towards the light, and can get very lopsided unless you turn their pots round occasionally.
So how does the onion ‘know’ where the light is, and how does it grow towards it? The tips of plant shoots contain a growth hormone called an auxin, which makes the shoot grow faster. But light destroys the auxin, so it only works on the side that doesn’t have any light. The side without any light grows longer and the shoot ends up bending towards the light.
You might have also noticed that plants without much light grow long and spindly. This is because there is lots of auxin in the plant and it grows fast – but the plant won’t be very healthy because it needs light to make food for itself by photosynthesis.
More ideas
Try seeing if a sprouting potato can find its way through the maze. Have a race between the potato and the onion to see which shoots grow quicker.
You could grow plants from identical seeds, one in the dark and one in the light to compare them. Look especially at the colour of the leaves. Think of ways to test whether the auxin is only in the tips of the shoots or all along the shoots.
This activity was taken from Planet Science Little Book of Experiments and originally came from Tim Hunkin, except he used potatoes instead of onions.
You can see the ‘How to make a potato find its way through a maze’ and lots more exciting experiments at Hunkin’s Experiments
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Planet Science Quiz
Ever feel like you’re going round and round in circles? Then try the February Quiz ‘cos it’s all about helicopters! Answer all the questions right in the The February Helicopter Quiz and you’ll go into the prize draw for a PicooZ Micro Helicopter. As it says in the ad, small chopper, big fun! Don’t be fooled by it size. Remember Napoleon Bonaparte?
And don’t forget the utterly sickly ophthalmologist’s Lurve Quiz, where you could win a microwavable teddy bear. The 2007 Lurve Quiz open for entries til the end of February.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Health Survey
In case you missed it, we’ve been running a mini survey for NESTA on the Planet Science site asking you and your young ones which of four knotty health issues worry you the most. A random surveyee gets a lovely little i-Pod Shuffle, so it’s potentially well worth the 1 minute or less it’ll take you to do. And you are contributing to a worthwhile NESTA project too of course!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Opportunity for A’ level science student to go to Sydney! Urgent!
Do you know a science student with potential? If YES, nominate them NOW for the opportunity to attend the International Science School in Sydney from Sunday 1 July to Saturday 14 July 2007. (Departing for Sydney on 28 June and returning 16 July).
Candidates should be outstanding students, aged at least 16 years on 1 June 2007 in the first year of an A-level course or S5 Students in Scotland. It is particularly important that potential candidates from 11-16 schools should not be omitted because they have transferred to another establishment. If you teach in an 11-16 school and know of a suitable candidate who has now transferred please contact the student and make a nomination. NB: ONLY ONE CANDIDATE PER SCHOOL/COLLEGE
To make a nomination please send the name and address of your candidate to Pam Jenkins at ASE HQ mail pamjenkins@ase.org.uk who will send the application form and further details direct to the student for completion.
Deadline: Applications to be returned by 31 March 2007
With grateful thanks to the Comino Foundation the ASE are now in a position to send five students to the Professor Harry Messel International Science School 2007 in Sydney, Australia in July 2007.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lunar Eclipse – March 3rd
Yes, we are told there is a total lunar eclipse on March 3rd. The greatest eclipse is at 11.20 GMT. We should see it all (if it is a clear night.)
For more details click this.
|
|
|
|
|
|
SciNews writing competition – 14-16 year olds
As part of National Science and Engineering Week Cancer Research UK are launching a writing competition starting 9 March aimed at 14-16 year olds. The competition is called “SciNews” and the idea is for entrants to write a news story on a medical or health-related advance that’s recently hit the headlines. Entries should be no more than 300 words and will be accepted via the website http://www.scinews.org.uk or by post.
The first prize is to spend a day with the Cancer Research UK press team and to read the story on their recently-launched podcast.
The theme of this year’s competition links particularly well to the “How Science Works” section of the new GCSE science syllabus. Through this competition, Cancer Research UK is hoping to engage with the next generation of scientists, and inspire young people to take up science.
The competition launches on the 9th March and will run until 30th April.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Virgin Galactic Spaceship 2 – Science Museum
Tuesday 13 – Friday 23 February 2007
FREE event
To celebrate the rapid advances in space travel, the Science Museum is showcasing a mock-up cabin of the world’s first ever vehicle for space tourism – the Virgin Galactic Spaceship 2. It has never been seen before in the UK and will be on display at the Science Museum. The model, designed by British design firm Seymour Powell, shows a unique vehicle which combines the technology of an aeroplane with a rocket and is predicted to be able to take tourists into space from as early as 2008!
Visitors will be able to view 9m long, 12 seater spacecraft cabin and gain an amazing insight into the experience of being one of the first non-professional astronaut travellers to embark on a leisure cruise into space.
For more information contact Laura Singleton on 0207 942 4364 or laura.singleton@sciencemuseum.org.uk.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6. Recommended websites of the week
|
|
|
New opportunity for kids to quiz scientists
Why do humans have large, pointy noses when chimps and gorillas have hardly any nose at all? Questions like this can now be answered on a new web site www.askabiologist.org.uk which has been designed to give kids direct access to scientists who can provide the answers.
Dr David Hone has assembled a team of over 60 professional scientists from around the world to answer questions put to them on the site.
Children can interact with scientists of all ages and disciplines to learn more about how science works. It also provides a tool for teachers to encourage talented and enthusiastic children.
Dr Hone added "One of the biggest problems with the internet is that websites may be out of date or written by non-experts.
"Here you will get the answer straight from the horse's mouth - people with access to the latest scientific knowledge".
The site welcomes questions on any aspect of biology and palaeontology and is still actively recruiting new scientists to help answer the questions that are coming in.
Thanks to Nicola for a fab set of links for teachers about climate change in the classroom. How big is your footprint?
BBC Science And Nature: Climate Challenge Game
You are president of the European Nations. Can you tackle climate change and stay popular enough with the voters to remain in office? Take the Climate Challenge.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
So who won the pair of tickets to see The Ethics of Progress at Leeds? Well it’s Katie Claydon-Park of Halifax. And who won the pair of tickets to see The Ethics of Progress at Oxford? None other than Jonathan Hunt of Warwick. Congratulations!
|
|
|
|
|
|
8. Joke of the week
|
|
|
A man is driving down a country road, when he spots a farmer standing in the middle of a huge field of grass. He pulls the car over to the side of the road and notices that the farmer is just standing there, doing nothing, looking at nothing.
The man gets out of the car, walks all the way out to the farmer and asks him, "Ah excuse me mister, but what are you doing?"
The farmer replies, "I'm trying to win a Nobel Prize."
"How?" asks the man, puzzled.
"Well, I heard they give the Nobel Prize . . . to people who are out standing in their field."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PS if you would like to unsubscribe from the newsletter please reply to this email nsonawane@nesta.org.uk with unsubscribe as the subject line.
|
|
|
|
