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1. Royal Society Book Prizes
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 Wanted: Junior Judges for the Royal Society Prizes for Science Books.
Do you have a group of talented young readers who can take on the challenge of becoming a judging panel for a books prize? If so, then read on!
The prestigious Royal Society Prizes for Science Books celebrate the very best in popular science writing for adults and children. For the £10,000 Junior Prize, a panel of five adult judges chooses the shortlist of six books as per a normal book prize.
However, the winner from the shortlist is solely picked by Junior Judges across the UK.
Because we like this system so much, Planet Science is sponsoring 25 of the 100 judging panels exclusively for Planet Science readers. We are looking for Junior Judging Panels that fulfil the following criteria:
- be 10-14 years old
- belong to an organisation such as a school, club, uniformed group, home-educator group, library group.
Participating organisations will receive a copy of each of the shortlisted books to keep forever, together with a judging pack. There are usually 6 – 8 junior judges per panel, but schools/organisations can have more than one panel. One pack and set of books per school/organisation though. Judges have a ball and do take their duties very seriously, ‘cos they know £10,000 is at stake for the winning author!
For further information, and to receive an application form send an email to books@ecsite-uk.net with Planet Science Expression of Interest in the subject line.
If you want to find out a bit more about the prize here’s a link to the Royal Society site, but do get your application form sent from the email above with the special subject line to be counted amongst our special Planet Science applicants. Thanks!
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2. Win a Digital Blue QX3+microscope
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 We have TWO brand new Digital Blue QX3+ microscopes to give away! Want one? Natch. 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? So how to win one? Well tell us how you’d use it; you must have LOADS of good ideas. Send them in to us and we will put you into a draw (not literally of course, could be a bit stifling) for 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. Hoorah. So, to recap:
Send your ideas for how you would use a Digital Blue QX3+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!
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Although we’re not quite open for business yet, we thought we’d share with you newsletter readers what the Planet Science Free Thing is this year. We are going to send you plant life in the form of mint seeds, and issue you with an enterprise challenge, thus combining the science forces of Planet Science with the enterprise forces of the NESTA Future Innovators Team. We’ll send the mint seeds, a lovely minty wall chart and balance sheet. Your mission: to grow the mint with your 7 – 14 year olds and then set about making money from it. (Or you can just grow the seeds of course!)
The group with the most profit using the most imaginative ideas will win £1000 worth of gardening vouchers for their school/club/other. (4 x £250 GVs for the runners up and Innocent are providing drinks for another 5 runner up groups after that.) We are printing 5000 ‘kits’ to post but everything apart from the seeds will also be available from the site if we run out. Look out for more details of how to get a pack next week.
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4. Activity of the Week: Water trick
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 You will need:
- A plastic drink bottle with a screw-on lid
- A needle
- Water
What to do:
- Make five holes in a horizontal straight line near the bottom of the drinks bottle.
- Make sure the holes are about 5mm apart.
- Fill the bottle with water.
- The water should come out in five streams.
- Pinch the jets with your thumb and forefinger and the jets will form one.
- Now fill the bottle with water and put the top on.
- The jets of water stop.
What’s going on?
Initially the water pours out in five streams but as you pinch them together you force the streams in contact with each other. The attraction of water molecules for water molecules is very strong. This is the cause of surface tension and so the jet becomes one. When the top is off the bottle air pressure bears down on the water in the bottle and forces it out of the small holes at the bottom. However, when the bottle is filled to the top and the lid is firmly screwed on then the pressure inside the bottle is equal to the air pressure outside the bottle and so the water is not forced out.
Tee hee. Are you a prankster? Write “DO NOT OPEN” with a marker pen on a plastic bottle and make holes in the letters with a pin. Fill with water and screw on the lid. When the unsuspecting victim unscrews the top to take a swig then they’ll be soaked!
This activity was taken from the Physics on Stage 2 booklet from the Institute of Physics in Ireland.
Click here for more information on why this works. |
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5. Mouses at the Ready
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 Have you seen the February copy of Flipside? Who does the best goal celebrations and why do they do it? What’s your favourite? Shirt over the head and running into the goalpost? Hmmmm. Yes a particular favourite. Plus the worlds most amazing public loos, 10 weirdest things underground and sticky fingers – who needs stairs when you have gekkomat? Not to mention Night at the Museum, making games explosions more explosive, how to YouTube, tagging the Great White and much more. For more information see www.flipside.org.uk
This week we have ten copies to give away!
If you’d like one, send an email with your name and address, and the words FEB FLIP in the subject line, to planet-science.news@nesta.org.uk.
The draw will take place at 5pm on Wednesday 28th February.
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Planet Science Quiz
Time is running out for the Febricopter Quiz. Answer all the questions right and you’ll go into the prize draw for a PicooZ Micro Helicopter. As it says in the ad, small chopper, big fun!
And don’t forget the viley gooey ophthalmologist’s Lurve Quiz, where you could win a microwavable teddy bear. The 2007 Lurve Quiz open for entries til the end of February.
Also only a few more days left to tell us what worries you in a one minute survey. You could win an ipod shuffle, so one minute for a potential 960 minutes of music!
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Lunar Eclipse – March 3rd
Get ready for the 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 check this out
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Nation’s Favourite Experiment
As part of National Science and Engineering Week 2007, the BA are launching a nationwide poll to determine the “Nation’s Favourite Experiment”.
They have put together a series a short film clips showing a range of experiments demonstrated by the “Punk Scientists”, and would like people across the UK to put in their vote and give their opinions on which experiment they love the most! The clips feature slime, slow-mo explosions and a couple of Coke-toting cowboys… the mind boggles.
For more information, to watch the clips and to vote for your favourite, go here. By placing your vote you will go into a draw to win an Xbox 360, courtesy of the prize sponsor ETB (The Engineering and Technology Board).
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“Vision 2027" a creative technology contest for girls - Year 5 upwards
What’s your idea for the future? Maybe being able to beam yourself on holiday, perhaps colour co-ordinate your accessories at the flick of a switch, or even phones that instantly translate your voice into another language? The search is on for trendsetting ideas for our future world in the areas of environment and energy, mobility and traffic, health and food. Would you like to inspire and support girls inventing their visions of the future? Pupils from year 5 and above from all European countries are invited to take part and win great prizes.
Closing date: 27 April 2007
The competition takes place within Girls' Day - Future Prospects for Girls and "2007 - European Year of Equal Opportunities for All"
For more information see the Vision 2027 site.
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7. Recommended websites of the week
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Come on everyone it’s time to play!
First of all we have Mr Pilbeam’s Laboratory – Issues of Gravity with loads of ideas for great experiments to make everyone go – ooooh, how does that work then?
BBC Science and Nature: Interactive Body
Heart in the right place... But what about the liver? Plumb together your organs in a 3D jigsaw.
How about the Universal Leonardo website? It’s devoted to the works of Leonardo da Vinci, and the section on Play contains small games, activities and simulations. Look out for one on mirror writing – it’s addictive.
If you’re feeling thirsty then sidle up to the Alien Juice Bar. You can learn about acids and bases whilst serving up and mixing drinks for your Alien customers. Make mine a Three-eyed Purple People-Eater…
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So who won the Giles Revell book showing fantastic electron microscopy photos of bugs? Well it was Jane Jennings of Bradford. Congratulations Jane, it should give you a whole new perspective on the humble woodlouse!
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9. Joke of the week
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An American who finds himself in Moscow wants to know the time. He sees a man approaching him carrying two heavy suitcases and asks the fellow if he knows the correct time.
"Certainly," says the Russian, setting down the two bags and looking at his wrist. "It is 11:43 and 17 seconds. The date is Feb. 13, the moon is nearing its full phase and the atmospheric pressure stands at 992 hectopascals and is rising.
The visitor is dumbfounded but manages to ask if the watch that provides all this information is Japanese. No, he is told, it is "our own, a product of Soviet Technology."
"Well, that is wonderful, you are to be congratulated."
"Yes," the Russian answers, straining to pick up the suitcases, "but these batteries are still a little heavy."
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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.
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