 |
 |
1. Stump The Scientist
|
 |
|
This week’s stumper is from Sarah who asks
‘If the Coriolis effect affects the direction in which large things like hurricanes turn, in which direction would a hurricane spin on the equator?
Or what would happen if one started south of the equator and moved northwards above it?’
That’s a juicy one. Anyone got any ideas?
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
|
|
|
|
|
2. Activity of the Week:
|
|
|
 Lodestone compass
Have you visited the Planet Scicast site lately? You don’t know what you’re missing. So just to give you a sneaky peek, have a gander at the Lodestone Compass film. And if you want to know how it’s done, we’ve given you the full instructions below.
Lodestone compass
You will need:
- A small lodestone, also called magnetite (or use a bar magnet)
- A bowl of water
- A selection of plastic containers that can be used as floats
- A pen to write on the plastic container
- Glue, blutac or sticky tape to attach the lodestone to the float
- A compass or a location where you can already know 'North'
What to do:
- Choose your float… try different containers to put your lodestone in, and float it on the bowl of water. If the lodestone persistently sinks, your plastic container is not big enough. Once you have found one, stick your lodestone in place on the float.
- Place the lodestone and float carefully back in the bowl of water. Try not to artificially spin it. Let it come to a rest without touching the sides of the bowl.
- Either use your compass or your local knowledge to identify 'North' and mark this on the float.
- You are now ready to take your compass into the field.
- When you need to find a direction, place your lodestone and float in a bowl of water and wait for it to settle. This should tell you where north is and you can work out the other directions from there!
What’s going on?
Modern compasses have a tiny magnet shaped like an arrow, which can spin freely in a case. A magnet, usually made of iron, will have north pole and a south pole. The entire Earth is also a magnet, an enormous one which also has a north and a south pole. The north pole of the tiny compass magnet points to the Earth's north pole. (Very annoyingly the Earth's north pole is actually a magnetic south pole, as unlike poles attract.)
The entire lodestone is a magnet too, again with a north pole and a south pole. It is made of a mineral call magnetite. It is considerably bigger and more cumbersome to use than a modern compass. But its north pole will point to the Earth's north pole. Once you have identified where the north pole of lodestone is it can be used anywhere to point north.
This activity is on Planet SciCast. Keep checking back for new films and how about submitting one of your own?
|
|
|
|
|
3. Mouses at the Ready
|
|
|
This week we’ve got TEN Flipside magazines to give away.
This edition is full of the usual flippin’ interesting stuff, Ricky Gervais graces the cover to highlight a feature on funniness, there’s swimming white tigers, ‘Can fear be fatal?’, and Space 50 years after Sputnik.
If you’d like to win one then email us with your name and address, and the words FLIPPY GERVAIS in the subject line, to planet-science.news@nesta.org.uk.
The draw will take place at 5pm on Wednesday 19th September.
|
|
|
|
|
4. Scicast Seminars – October 2007
|
|
|
 
If you're leading one of the 250 After School Science and Engineering Clubs, or perhaps a similar but unaffiliated club, or you work for STEMNET or a SETPOINT and have an interest in these clubs in your area, or you just fancy getting involved with SciCast - but maybe need a bit of knowledge and encouragement:
We can now announce dates for a set of day-long seminars, which will tell you everything you need to know about filming demonstrations. Covering planning, equipment, and editing techniques, we'll also look at how you might use SciCast in your classroom, passing on observations and experience from the schools' workshops we ran last term.
If you want to use video in the science lab, these are the days for you!
Seminar 1: Mon 15th October - Newcastle, Centre for Life, 10:00 to 16:00
Seminar 2: Wed 17th October - Birmingham University, 10:00 to 16:00
Seminar 3: Fri 19th October - Norwich/Cambridge/Ipswitch area, venue TBC.
Seminar 4: Tue 23rd October - London, NESTA, 11:00 to 16:30
Seminar 5: Wed 31st October - Southampton, venue TBC.
We've deliberately scheduled the London workshop during half-term since some people said they could only make that week; apologies if this means you have to travel some distance. However, the record to date is a teacher from Glasgow who attended the Cardiff workshop last term, so you'll have to work hard to beat that!
If you’d like to attend please email us at scicast@nesta.org.uk with the seminar number in the subject line. There's no charge for the seminars and lunch will be provided, but we’d ask that any commitment you make to attend should be serious, please! We've previously had to turn people down only for 'confirmed' attendees not to show up.
First come, first booked - so please, pass on this information as widely as possible, to anyone you think might be interested.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 The UK
Tasty Tester
Quiz
British Food Fortnight is coming up and will celebrate all things foody that emanate from the UK. As anyone who’s looked through the Planet Science Diner or tried out the new Smoothie Operator game knows there’s a lot of science to scoffing.
Get all the answers right and you’ll go into the draw to win a Horrible Science Disgusting Digestion Pack. Y – UK!
Try the quiz here
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Smoothie Operator – new game from Planet Science
Smoothies are all the rage these days. Grab a handful of whatever, chuck it in a blender and hey presto! – a meal you don’t have to chew. Perfect for the average busy worker, you could cut your lunch break down to 5 mins. Yikes! Don’t tell the bosses! So have a go on the new interactive game Smoothie Operator.
Simply choose your favourite ingredients (and decide on the quantities) drag them into your virtual blender and hit the button. Then think up a name for your creation and submit it. Now you’ll find out just how healthy (or otherwise!) it is and you can add it to the Hall of Fame. It could join the likes of ‘Roast Dinner’ (what a ghastly thought) and the nauseating ‘Phlegm-mania’. Plus there’s loads of facts about diet and nutrition, plenty to keep you amused during British Food Fortnight which starts on the 22 September.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inspirational science teachers wanted!
Maverick Television, in association with The Wellcome Trust, is looking to produce a documentary called ‘Evolution Matters‘ to coincide with the Darwin Bicentenary of 2009.
The documentary, ‘Evolution Matters’, will be presented by a scientist with an urgent passion for improving the quality of teaching of evolutionary theory. The presenter will be taking a nationwide journey to find and showcase examples of teachers, scientists, science communicators and artists who practice particularly interesting, ingenious and effective ways of teaching evolutionary theory to encourage their students to take more of an interest in this important subject. The film is aimed at inspiring science teachers to bring successful methods into their classrooms.
If you feel that you fit the bill and teach evolution with unusual or novel methods or if you know of any teachers that do then please get in touch.
Please contact Lucy Malins at l.malins@mavericktv.co.uk or on 0121 224 8358
|
|
|
|
|
|
Call For Contributors - Workshop on Popular Science Books
A one-day event on popular science books to be held at Imperial College, London on 22nd Feb 2008. Literary critics, historians, writers, illustrators, publishers, prize-givers, reviewers, readers, booksellers, teachers (and others) are all invited to take part. Contributors will be asked introduce a book, collection, theme, or popular science author, perhaps with a small extract, and use it to raise a topic for discussion in or about popular science.
If you are interested in contributing, please send the organisers an outline of your presentation (500 words maximum) and a short bio (approx 200 words). The outline should list the source(s) you want to discuss, and preview the discussion topic your session would raise. Email this to popscievent@gmail.com by the 23rd November 2007.
(Registration will not open until the programme is finalised in early December, but we can confirm that the cost will be £10 (includes lunch and refreshments) and it'll be held at Imperial College, South Kensington Campus, on Friday 22nd February 2008.
Further enquires to popscievent@gmail.com.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6. Recommended websites of the week
|
|
|
 This week we are looking at the BBC website Gardening with Children
There’s ideas for lots of projects you can do with children plus a wonderful interactive game called Pestwatch. Spot the naughty nibblers and match them to their silhouettes. The section on ‘Discovering plants’ allows children to find out about easy-to-grow plants, sensory plants and those suitable to make a butterfly garden. So what are you waiting for? Grab that spade and the nearest nipper and get out there!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Remember last week when we were offering two readers the chance to Adopt a Vegetable?
In this case the Whippersnapper tomato? Well the lucky winners are
Kirstie Wilcox of Poulton le Fylde and Vivien Brook of Truro.
May your toms bring you many happy years of enjoyment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
8. Joke of the week
|
|
|
It’s been a long time since we had some decent lightbulb jokes… and this week’s no different.
How many antelopes does it take to change a light bulb?
None, they are hardy animals that migrate between tundra and wide open plains and therefore have no need for an artificial light source.
How many evolutionists does it take to change a light bulb?
Only one, but it takes eight million years.
How many mystery writers does it take to change a light bulb?
Two. One to screw the bulb almost all the way in, and one to give a surprising twist at the end.
How many science fiction writers does it take to change a light bulb?
Two, but it's actually the same person doing it. He went back in time and met himself in the doorway and then the first one sat on the other one's shoulder so that they were able to reach it. Then a major time paradox occurred and the entire room, light bulb, changer and all was blown out of existence.
How many board meetings does it take to get a light bulb changed?
This topic was resumed from last week's discussion, but is incomplete, pending resolution of some action items. It will be continued next week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
