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01. FREE FRUITY POSTCARDS
To make sure everyone knows the Planet Science Website hasn't crashed into the sun or anything, we had a large number of postcards specially printed to hand out at the now-winding-up BA Festival of Science all this week. We've been handing out like mad... but still have a lot left over. They feature the cover of 'Oh Please!' magazine July issue as highlighted here last week try clicking here to check it out before ordering!). And on the back there's a bit of room for a message and an address along with our own message of good news about the website. It's ever so slightly naughty but very nice, and if you'd like a wodge of them (that's an exact scientific 'wodge' unit of measurement, (1W) to give out to your class or to put on a table by reception for people to take we have a LOAD (nW) to give away! Send your name and address to katie.walsh@nesta.org.uk with FREE POSTCARDS in the subject heading and she'll pop them in the post to you.  |
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| 02. ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK: GROW YOUR OWN AVOCADO TREE Don't throw away those avocado stones, get your green fingers out and grow a tree instead Age range 7-14 You will need: * at least one avocado stone * toothpicks / cocktail sticks * a glass jar for each avocado stone * water * a warm spot for your plants to grow, away from any interference... * Later on, you will need some rich potting compost and a 25cm diameter pot for each plant. What to do: * Wash the avocado stone(s) * Hold one of the stones so the pointy end is pointing upwards, and then push three toothpicks into it, like spokes coming out of a wheel around its 'waist'(so to speak). * Fill the jar with water and put the avocado stone and toothpicks on top so that about 2 cm of the stone is in the water. * Do the same with your other stones, and then place the jars in your warm spot, out of direct sunlight. * Now keep an eye on the stones, but be very patient... You might see a root appearing in about two to six weeks, but we have known some take a year! (This is why it's best to use more than one stone.) * When the stem has grown about 15 cm tall, cut it back to about 7 cm. * When the roots are thick and there are leaves on the stem again, you can plant it in the pot. Leave the stone half-exposed. * Water the plant well, but let it dry out between waterings. What's going on: An avocado 'stone' is in fact a very large seed. Giving it water and warmth is a trigger for germination. If you could cut open the stone you would see that it also contains a miniature shoot (called the plumule) and a miniature root (the radicle). The rest of the space is taken up by a massive food store. When the conditions are right, the radicle breaks open the seed cover and pushes downwards to get water, and the radicle pushes upwards and grows into the stem and the leaves of the new plant. Until this plant has grown its own leaves, it gets all its nutrition from the food store inside the seed. Make sure you look after your avocado tree. If it gets very droopy, you might not be watering it enough. Non-woody plants only stay upright if they have enough water in their cells. However, if the plant looks like it has wilted but the soil is saturated, you are watering it too much. You shouldn't swamp the roots in water as they need oxygen as well. If the leaves become brown and seem to fry at the tips, there is too much salt in the soil. You can remove the salt by leaching - run water into the pot for several minutes while letting it drain out of the bottom. More ideas: Other tropical plants you could try growing are ginger (from root ginger) and papaya (from the seeds inside a shop-bought papaya). Even MORE ideas: This activity came from the California Avocado Commission website which has loads more information about avocados plus games, activities and loads more. Even recipes, though that may seem cruel once you've seen how long it takes avocado plants to grow! |
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| 03. GET DRAWING You don't need to be artistically 'gifted' in your own or anyone else's eyes to draw - yes, DRAW, that paper-based activity that young children do incessantly, but most adults don't (including today's art students, according to David Hockney.) All you need of course is a pencil and some paper, but to really encourage people throughout the country to have a go, the Campaign for Drawing now run 'The Big Draw' as an organised annual event, and have recruited many fantastic venues to art activities for the public during October. You can check them all out at http://www.drawingpower.org.uk, click through to your area on the map to find out what's going on in your area. There are all sorts of venues but one particularly science-related one that has reached our attention is the Natural History Museum, which is holding mega-events on both Saturday 4th October and 18th October. The events are free, so if you're in or around London either of those weekends, get along and have a go. Here's where you'll find more information: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/bigdraw. |
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| 04. REALLY DEEP NOTE Just a quick mention for the deepest musical note ever generated in space (as far as we know)... It's coming from a black hole and it's a B Flat. Although it's way toooooo deep for human ears to hear let alone hum, it was picked up by super-sensitive NASA technology. And reported on this week by the newshounds at the NME (yes you read right, that's the 'New Musical Express' as the older generation might say) proving their love of cosmic grooves extends to the furthest reaches of the multiverse just so long as it's good music. Tune in and tune up at http://www.nme.com/news/106131.htm . |
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| 05. MOUSES AT THE READY FOR... YUCKY YOU This week the freebie-focus falls on Techniquest Science Discovery Centre in Cardiff. If you've never been, you've missed yourself it's a great family day out... and if you have, you'll probably want to go again especially when you hear what they're up to now... Which is: every Saturday until 12th October, they're running a theatre show called 'Yucky You!' As the name suggests, the idea is to dive in and surf for miles on that giant wave of Yuck which is washing over the world science scene at the moment... "Why are bogies green and why do we burp?" the organisers ask. And what be the secrets of stinking sputum, gungy goo, volcanic vomit and horrible hair in weird places? All will be revealed as the show explores the top five most revolting bodily activities. "In this show, we're tackling really important facts about the body, that even parents want to know. It's time to get bogies out in the open!" Just don't eat right before the show. Fancy a family pass? If so you could be in luck, as we have five on offer... To get into the draw, send an email to anne@planet-science.com entitled I'M LUCKY I'M YUCKY with a note of your name and address. The draw will take place at 10am on Friday 20th September. (NB sorry but multiple entries will be eliminated as will entries without name/address on them.) For more information about what's on at Techniquest have a look at their website at http://www.techniquest.org . |
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| 06. RECOMMENDED WEBSITE OF THE WEEK While on the Yucky note, it seems timely to flag up the self-titled 'Yuckiest Site on the Internet'. It's called YUCKY.COM ... We've mentioned it here before, but that was flippin' ages ago, and Rosie Sargeant (11) from Cheltenham has emailed to remind us it's still there and revolting as ever. She says, 'This site is excellent for children who want to know more about all the horrible parts of your body.' And it's much better fun than eating your own earwax, though that's always an option of course for afters and at least you'll then understand WHY it tastes like that. Bleurrrrrrrrgh. |
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| 07. HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE WINNERS And still on the subject of the stomach-turning... Katy Paterson from Perth, Jo Sheehy from London, Allertonshire School in North Yorkshire, Samantha McGowan from Port Glasgow, and Alison Handley from Southampton. Congratulations and get ready for a vile (but highly desirable) double-book volume to be delivered to you in a week or ten days' time... And on a totally different note... |
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| 08. GRANTS TO PROMOTE PHYSICS DURING 2004 The Institute of Physics have been in touch to tell you that if you're planning on organising a physics-based event next year, they might be able to help you out with a spot of funding... The Institute has initiated a scheme, '2004 Grants to Promote Physics', which is offering grants of up to £500 to support individuals organising events, particularly those to be held in National Science Week, 12-21 March 2004. Application forms and further information are now available online at http://physics.iop.org/IOP/grants.html or you can contact Caitlin Watson on caitlin.watson@iop.org. The closing date for applications is 31 October 2003. Please note that this will be the only round of grants for 2004, and a new grant scheme for Einstein Year is being set up for activities in 2005. For more information on Einstein Year please also contact Caitlin Watson - as she knows everything (it's true!). |
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| 09. THIS WEEK IN SCIENCE You can't have missed mention of the fact that it's 50 years this year the discovery of the structure of DNA. But it's also the 50th anniversary of scientists discovering crucial information about how - and where - that DNA does its business... Science Line have been investigating and here what they found out, and some links to more more more... http://www.sciencenet.org.uk/onthisdayinscience/0903/2009.html |
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| 10. JOKE OF THE WEEK ... CHICKEN TONIGHT In fact, chicken or other road-crossers every night for the next six weeks ... Last week Nancy Dobson opened the batting re. Chicken-crossing road jokes, and the response has been overwhelming... from the funny to the worrying to the surreal to the ones that require good working knowledge of physics... Here are a selection. From Katy Hewis: Why did the arachnid cross the road? Because he spider friend Why did the oyster cross the road? Purely shellfish reasons Why did the chemist cross the road? To see what reaction he'd get. From Linda Galvin: Famous scientists when asked the question 'Why did the chicken cross the road?, gave the following answers: Andre Ampere: 'To keep up with current events.' Albert Einstein : 'Did the chicken really cross the road or did the road move beneath the chicken?' Alexander Graham Bell: 'To get to the nearest phone.' Robert Boyle: 'She had been under too much pressure at home.' James Watt: 'It thought it would be a good way to let off steam.' Thomas Edison: 'She thought it would be an illuminating experience.' Jean Foucault: 'It didn't. The rotation of the earth made it appear to cross.' Karl Gauss: 'Because of the magnetic personality of the rooster on the other side.' Gustav Hertz: 'Lately, its been crossing with greater frequency.' Georg Ohm: 'There was more resistance on this side of the road.' And: Erwin Schrodinger: 'Since the wording of the question implies the absence of an observer (else the fowl's motivation might easily be deduced), it is evident that the chicken simultaneously did and did not cross the road. In the face of this, any speculation as to the bird's purpose must be viewed as mere sophistry - and as such is beyond the bounds of this discussion.' From Alison King: Why did the duck keep crossing the river? Because she was quackers. Why was the frog kicked out of the library? He always said readit readit.... From Simon Cochrane: Q: Why did the dinosaur cross the road? A: Because chickens hadn't evolved yet! From Chris Parry: 1. Why did the electrons cross the wire in one second? To become a cool-omelet! (not enough for 6.28x10E18) 2. Why did the chicken cross the playground? To get to the other slide! (otherwise it would have been a roundabout route) 3. Why did the chicken cross the road? To see Evelyn Laye! (this is for those doing film studies) 4. Why did the hedgehog & chicken cross the garden? Because they were stuck together! 5. Why did the birds fly over the country gate? Because it was cold enough to emigrate! 6, Which is smarter a chicken or a parrot? Ask yourself - Have you ever heard of Kentucky Fried parrot? From Linton Austen: Why did the chicken cross the road half way? He wanted to lay it on the line! What do chicken families do on Saturday afternoon? They go on peck-nics! What did one chicken say to the other after they walked through poison ivy ? "You scratch my beak and I'll scratch yours!" Why did the chick disappoint his mother? He wasn't what he was cracked up to be! Is chicken soup good for your health? Not if you're the chicken! What do chickens serve at birthday parties? Coop-cakes! What do you get when a chicken lays an egg on top of a barn? An eggroll! What do you call the outside of a hand gren-egg? The bombshell! What happens when you drop a hand gren-egg? It eggs-plodes! Which day of the week do chickens hate most? Fry-day! What do you get when you cross a chicken with a duck? A bird that lays down! Why don't chickens like people? They beat eggs! Why did the rooster run away? He was chicken! From David Allsop: Why did the chicken cross the road according to Pauli? Because there was already a chicken on this side Why did the chicken cross the road according to Schrödinger? Because it was being chased by a cat And finally... From Sekeeta Crowley: Why did the hedghog cross the road? To show he had guts. And on that note - good bye! Any contributions to forthcoming newsletters should be sent to Anne McNaught on anne@planet-science.com. But please, no more chicken jokes! Have a great week. |
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