SCIENCE YEAR NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 27 Week ending Friday, 27th July 2001 Friday again ... and time for an update on Science Year activities and other events that have taken place or are about to happen. The Giant Jump Our world-record-attempting jump preparations continue to move ahead by leaps and bounds... At the time of writing, 2553 groups have registered for the minute of madness on 7th September. As previously mentioned, there's information on the Giant Jump what it's all about and what to do, plus instructions for two forms of home-made seismometers, the SWING THING and the SPRINGLOADER. We will also shortly be emailing you with some additional educational information, more designs for detectors, useful links and other jumping facts and factoids. So watch your inbox! Debatable Issues How should contentious areas of science be taught in schools? Is it better for students to get to grips first and foremost with scientific practicalities, before considering ethical questions? Or is that approach back-to-front? Perhaps broader issues about society should be the starting point for classes regarding controversial subjects? TEACHERS magazine is looking for two impassioned teachers to put forward each side of the debate, for a head-to-head feature in a forthcoming edition. If you think you might be interested in writing a 400-word opinion-piece, send an email initially to the usual Science Year address: anne.mcnaught@scienceyear.com and we will pass your details on to the magazine's editorial team who will provide further details. As an incentive, we can reveal that there will be a financial, I repeat, Financial reward for all writing! P.S. Ideas for future head-to-head debates will also be warmly welcomed. Futech Competition Winners Family-friendly air travel was the idea behind the winning design at the Engineering Council's FuTech conference last week. Nearly 200 13-15 year olds had the 3-day task of developing practical solutions to issues affecting road, rail, air and sea transport. The winning team are: (from left to right) Bri-jon Dodington, Saajan Chana, Joe Allen, Adam Mallion, Ladi Okanlawon, Gerry Newman, Jessica O'Keeffe, Joseph Williamsc, Georgina Revell and Lauren Parsons. Noting that 23% of all air passengers are adults travelling with young children, came up with the idea of creating baby seats that would slot into airport trolleys and seats during flights. They also developed the idea of aircraft crèches. Event manager Stuart Robinson had nothing but praise for everyone who took part, and the wide-ranging designs that resulted. "Given the talent and ingenuity shown by these young engineers," he says, " the future of transportation is clearly in safe hands.' Good news! Surf's Up Not a reference to blond-haired dudes and huge waves in Cornwall ... but a request for your favourite and / or most useful science websites. The 'Library' area of the Science Year website is about to be revamped and re-stocked with a comprehensive collection of useful sites for everyone. We will also be looking for reviewers, both adults and young people, to explore recommended sites and give us an independent view of each site's strengths and possible weaknesses. Therefore, please let us know about any science / technology websites you rate highly, and why. And if you think you'd like to be a reviewer, or know some young people who would,let us know too. Send all ideas to anne.mcnaught@scienceyear.com Recommended Site Of The Week On a related note, we will now be featuring a recommended science and technology Site of the Week in each newsletter, so that good cyber-knowledge of web resources can be shared around all newsletter-readers... And what better to start the ball rolling, than by flagging up the winner of this year's Webby Award in the science category. It's called Plus and it's an online magazine on the applications of maths which was created by the Millennium Mathematics Project at Cambridge University. NB Never heard of the Webbys? Well, they're said by some to be the world's most prestigious Internet awards, and are given out annually by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, whose star-studded membership includes Francis Ford Coppola, David Bowie, Tina Brown and Matt Groening ... And Finally A joke, of course is what's needed for the end of this week's newsletter: Question: "How many astronomers does it take to change a lightbulb? " Answer: "None! They're not afraid of the dark ... " And as ever - we need MORE jokes, lightbulb-related or otherwise. Please send them to the email address below ... Any other business! As ever, we welcome any comments or thoughts about the newsletter, or indeed about the Science Year website, please drop a line to: anne.mcnaught@scienceyear.com Thank you! Return to archive