SCIENCE YEAR NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 71 Week ending Friday, 14th June 2002 What? Another 15 course e-meal of news, events and celebrity science gossip? Yes! Hope you're feeling hungry - here are today's specials: • Invitation to schools to join our new INTERNATIONAL EXPERIMENT • UP FOR THE CUP - be your own Beckham • SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY • Nominations please for the PACKAGING HALL OF SHAME • RSPCA ANIMAL CARE WEEK • TALKING TREES - Children's conference • NATIONAL MOTH NIGHT taps at the window • DESIGN A BACTERIA competition • VIRTUAL SPACE DAY • SCI-TEC FESTIVAL in Derby • DIDDY DELIGHTS - will make sense when you get there! • Q of the W: Watching the DETECTOR VANS • RWW: CELEBRITY SCIENCE on wheels... • A.O.B. GOING DOWN THE PLUGHOLE - IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE Wanted - schools for international experiments. Science Year is currently looking for volunteer schools to take part in a fun end-of-term international experiment in early/mid July. Linking up with schools from Singapore and Australia, we'll be setting a north-south challenge by testing which way water goes down the plughole around the globe, plus other Coriolis Effect-related experiments. (Cori-what?! Brush up on it here) If you want to be part of the event, email Bobby Cerini at bobby.cerini@scienceyear.com with your full contact details, and put the word 'Plughole' in the subject field. >top UP FOR THE CUP If you're not interested in football, please scroll straightaway down to the next item featuring the Science Photo Library and their tempting offer for schools... Still reading? OK you asked for it! First of all, we'd like to alert you to the fact that following Engerrrrrland's successful march forward to the second round Dr Alex Allinson from UKWellness.com has updated his wise and wonderful Supporter Survival Guide notes for us. Putting science to the service of couch potato-dom, he'll keep you alert, healthy and in a positive frame of mind, no matter which team you're supporting. But what to do during the hours when there's no football on TV?? Play a football game online of course. And we have just the thing for you: Our new game's called the 'Up For The Cup Challenge' and you can find it in the On The Ball section of the Science Year website. The aim is to masterfully co-ordinate your team's manoeuvres so as to beat the ever-swarming opposing team and score - through the correct set of goalposts if possible. The action escalates through a variety of levels from playing-in-the-park to Sunday League to the World Cup, and just like in real life, the skills required take dedicated practice... If you're anything like the Science Year in-house testing panel you'll initially spend most of your time dribbling. Dribbling with concentration that is, as you attempt to gain those crucial insta-reflex mouse/eye coordination skills.... However, training exercises and penalty practice are built in between each level to help you on your way. We're sure Sven would approve. Oh - and if you have a soundcard, you're in for a few audio treats along the way. Enjoy! >top GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS SCIENCE PHOTOS AVAILABLE FOR SCHOOLS... From images of the Earth from space, to bacteria, viruses, lasers and PET scans in all their brightly coloured glory - science is not short of a good photo opportunity or two. And here's a chance for a number of schools to get their hands on 120,000 of the very best pictures available. The Science Photo library has been going since 1979, and a quick flick through its catalogues can make a grown man or woman drool! Their collection comes from scientists, doctors, medical and scientific institutions, university departments, astronomical observatories as well as professional photographers and illustrators and SPL enjoys a reputation as one of the world's leading photo agencies for this kind of material. So we were excited to receive the following email from them about a pilot scheme they're launching: "We are now looking at ways to make our collection of imagery available to schools, for internal use only, as an educational resource. The pilot will be looking at how the images are used, and any problems encountered in accessing or using the images, as well as taking recommendations from participants about the appropriate subscription/license fee for using the resource." Taking part in the pilot study will cost you nothing, so this seems like an opportunity not to be overlooked... If you are interested in participating in this initial pilot programme, please email Maria Storey, Marketing & Communications Director on maria.storey@sciencephoto.com . And for further information, check out the Science Photo Library website. >top NAME, SHAME - AND WIN A SOLAR-POWERED GARDEN LAMP Q. When is a milk chocolate truffle not (just) a milk chocolate truffle? A. When it comes in a cellophane wrapper, nestled in a plastic tray, inside a cardboard box, inside another cellophane wrapper ... inside a carrier bag. "Eye appeal sells the meal" as they say, but what's 'beautiful presentation' one minute, is eco-trouble for the next N years - where N is a number much too high for any environmentalist's liking. As part of a forthcoming Environment feature on the Science Year website, we're currently compiling candidates for a Packaging Hall of Shame, and we'd like to hear YOUR top nominations. What we need is the name of the product, manufacturer, amount of packaging v amount of contents, and where you bought/saw it, and your comments. We're particularly interested in products available UK-wide. To encourage you to get your garbage-goggles on, we have some seriously good prizes on offer. Nominators of the top 6 items of shame, as decided by Science Year team consensus, will be sent an eco-trendy & -friendly, solar-powered garden light which needs no batteries or wiring, only the Sun, to provide 12 hours of through-the-night illumination. Perfect for the balmy barbecue season we hope is on its way... So hurry hurry hurry and send your nomination to: katie.walsh@scienceyear.com >top RSPCA EDUCATION WEEK And speaking of the evils of packaging ... the danger to animals posed by our litter is just one aspect of animal-welfare which is being highlighted by the RSPCA Education Week as part of its ongoing drive to get us to treat both wildlife and domestic pets with care and respect. The week begins on Monday (17th June), and all schools are invited to take advantage of the resources on offer. The idea is to encourage children and teachers to participate in a range of animal-friendly activities during the week. These range from hosting talks by the Society's education officers (Eng & Wales only), to setting animal-welfare related challenges for classes to complete. You can check out all the resources at the RSPCA's website. Alternatively, you can phone for more information on 08703 335 999. PS How much do you think it costs to keep a dog happy and healthy for a year? This is one of the classroom challenges given to get children thinking ... but the figures of course stay the same no matter what age you are. Have a go at working it out - we'll tell you at the end. >top AND FROM ANIMALS TO TREES ... AND PRIMARY AGE CHILDREN The Woodland Trust, the UK's leading woodland conservation charity, is seeking children's ideas, opinions and concerns about the importance of trees and woodland in their lives. These are needed to contribute to a statement which will be sent to the Government for its preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, between 26th August and 4th September 2002. There are three ways they can contribute to the debate: 1. By filling in an online questionnaire 2. By organising their own conference. The Trust has compiled a free schools' conference pack to help teachers and children organise their own "Talking Trees" conference (at their own school, or in collaboration with other nearby schools). The pack contains everything needed to set up and run your own conference. 3. Pupils aged 9-11 from schools in Warwickshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Leicestershire are invited to represent their schools at the Children's Conference being held in the Conkers Centre in the National Forest on Thursday 20th June. Up to four children from each invited school can come to the conference, and participating schools will receive a sapling to celebrate the event. The organisers say, "Responses will also help the Woodland Trust to plan its next big campaign for woodland, which will have children at its heart. Results will be published immediately after the Conkers Conference." And they add that the conferences have been devised to fit in with the National Curriculum in England and Wales. For more information and to get your pack, visit the Woodland Trust website or contact Liz Finn at the Woodland Trust on 01476 581149. >top AND HOW COULD WE IGNORE... ... National Moth Night! Not sure whether the moths know it's their big evening, but for interested humans, there's a bevy of observational events taking place around the UK from Rathlin Island to Cornwall and New Lanark and beyond. Some on Saturday (15th June), some on Sunday, and you can check out all the details at InsectLine - click through on National Moth Night - click through on Events. And apart from bright lights, do you know how to attract moths and butterflies to your garden? They recommend you cook up an almost Jamie-Oliveresque recipe: put some stout, molasses and brown sugar in a pan, simmer for 30 minutes and at the end add a dash of rum. Then paint your wagon/garden shed/whatever. Drink the remains (only kidding.) And just keep verrrrrry still. NB the mixture does stain wood apparently so be careful! >top DESIGN-A-BACTERIA Still on the biological theme, here's some information about a competition especially for people in science-related clubs. On offer are goodies including books, visits to science centres and kit for your club. All you have to do is design a bacteria. Ros Mist, the organiser, stresses that this does not mean go out and grow one. No, instead the idea is to design your bug on paper, and add written details of what it is, where it lives, what it lives on and anything else you can think of. The deadline for entries is Friday July 12th, and winners will be announced on July 26th. Visit http://www.ecsite-uk.net or contact ros.mist@the-ba.net for more information. >top VIRTUAL SPACE DAY Oh and Ros also asked us to mention the Virtual Space Day that's taking place on Thursday July 11th. She says, "Do you think we should be visiting the other planets? Is there a question you want to ask an astronomer? Do you want to make a rocket, or even a telescope? Well, then maybe your school should be taking part in the Virtual Space Day!" SciZmic (the science clubs network) invites you to log on to their site at Think.com (you'll need to register first) and take part. They have astronomers across the country ready to answer your questions, activities for you to try out and debates to take part in. So what are you waiting for? Again, for more information, please contact Ros by email on ros.mist@the-ba.net >top SCI-TEC 2002 FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE If you put it in your diary last time we mentioned it, you'll know that the Festival is nearly upon us. It's taking place at the University of Derby from June 17 - 22. The festival is for both young and not-so-young, and features all sorts of exhibits promoting engineering in its widest sense, from organisations like Techniquest and Sport by Design. There will also be workshops provided by Rolls-Royce plc, Severn Trent Water, Boots the Chemist, AEA technology, Powergen, Derbyshire Education Business Partnership, CITB, National Trust and National Forest. And you cannot escape the football by hiding out at the festival - Derby County FC have supplied special sports science activities... Here's the breakdown of events: Monday 17 June Secondary Schools Tuesday 18 - Friday 21 June Primary Schools Saturday 22 June Science on a Saturday (for everyone) Full details can be found at the Sci-Tec website. >top DIDDY DELIGHTS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY If you're in business or education and around the Harlow area, you are cordially invited to an event called 'Diddy Delights of Science and Technology' on 18th and 19th June. 'DIDDY', comes acronymically from 'Dedicated to Infant children Discovering the Delights of science and technology at a Young age' (easier to say than DICDDSTYA) and is a 2-day event for 1200 Year 2 children. The idea is to enthuse the kids about science, and leave them buzzing with ideas and creativity related to forces and structures... How it works is, all the children do 'The Great Tablet Run Around Challenge' then two of the other 18 workshops on offer, with things to make, things to investigate and things to take part in. These have intriguing names, such as 'Water off a Bird's Back', 'Nifty Lift', '3D Sight' and 'Mould and Magnets' and a range of people from local organisations, businesses and education are enthusiastically involved in sponsoring, developing and presenting the workshops. If you'd like to visit, they'd love to see you, but please fax before the event so they know you're coming. The fax no is: 01279 421945. The address is: Harlow Study Centre, Netteswellbury Farm, Harlow, CM18 6BW, and you can get an online map of the area here. >top SCIENCE LINE QUESTION OF THE WEEK If you've been upping your tv intake due to the World Cup/Big Brother/Spooks lately and yet still don't exactly have a current tv licence - shame on you. And also, here's a Q&A you might be interested in: What signal do TV detector vans detect? The answer can be found here. (Of course, if you don't have a valid licence and the detector people come knocking on you door, you can always try and appeal to their sense of humour with that old ploy of sticking a cardboard box up your jumper, putting the end of the tv cable in your mouth, then opening the door with an "I'g soggy I gont go what you're galking agouk..." It sometimes works... allegedly.) Anyway! That answer came courtesy of Science Line, and the question came from a member of the public. If YOU have any questions, they'll be happy to find the answer for you too. All you need to do is give them a ring on 0808 800 4000 (Mon-Sat, 1-7pm) or visit their website. >top RECOMMENDED WEBSITE OF THE WEEK What do you do if you're a child star in Hollywood but you need to keep up with you school science lessons even while you're on location? You call for Science Bob of course. "Science Bob" (real name Bob Pflugfelder) is a science tutor who's carved a niche as have-mobile-lab-will-travel teacher to the likes of Haley Joel Osment (from 'Sixth Sense') and Eric Per Sullivan (from 'Malcolm in the Middle'). Enjoy a brush with stardom by visiting his site... It's great fun, and has some excellent links and also some activities that'll get you in National Enquirer if you're young, famous and rich but will do just fine for the rest of us. Try the 'Exploding Lunchbag' for a start ... >top A.O.B. Enough already! Please send any future newsletter contributions to: anne.mcnaught@scienceyear.com . AND AS PROMISED: HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGY IN YOUR HOME?? According to RSPCA calculations, 1 x average dog x 365 days of responsible care = £650. How close were you? Have a great week! >top